


The Heat

by standardusername



Category: Supergirl (TV 2015)
Genre: Alternate Universe - No Powers, Denial of Feelings, Enemies to Partners to Lovers, Eventual Smut, F/F, Humor, Partners to Lovers, Pining, References to Drugs, Smut, SuperCorp, The Heat AU, karas a cop, kind of, lenas an fbi agent, some violence but nothing too explicit
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-16
Updated: 2020-12-23
Packaged: 2021-03-07 16:54:50
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 31,628
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26500972
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/standardusername/pseuds/standardusername
Summary: Lena Luthor is an FBI agent assigned to work a case in National City. Kara Danvers is a detective working for the National City PD. They take an immediate dislike to one another but have no other choice but to work together to bring down the bad guys.The Heat AU.It's The Heat, but different and supercorp.
Relationships: Kara Danvers/Lena Luthor
Comments: 24
Kudos: 277
Collections: Gays in Earth 38





	1. The Assignment

Special Agent Lena Luthor brushed a perfectly manicured hand down her dark blue buttoned suit jacket to her matching skirt, making sure there wasn’t a wrinkle in sight as the automatic doors of the Metropolis FBI Headquarters opened before her and she stepped through.

She walked with purpose, her heels clacking off the floor and echoing around so those nearby glanced up curiously as she passed by. With her head held high, not a hair in her tight bun out of place. Her ID badge clipped impeccably straight to the pocket of her jacket.

“Good morning, Agent Anderson,” Lena greeted an agent in passing, her tone dismissive as if she addressed him not because she wanted too but because she knew it was appropriate.

Agent Anderson merely raised his chin up slightly in greeting, indifferent towards Agent Luthor and said nothing in response. Not that Lena noticed this, as she hadn’t hung around for a response, marching onwards.

Lena approached the security guard, holding up her ID.

“Special Agent Luthor,” she said loudly, waiting for the security guard to allow her through, though the guard did not appear to be standing in her way at all.

“I know who you are, Agent Luthor. You don’t need to do this every day.”

“I’m just following correct procedure, Cliff, as everybody here should.”

Cliff gestured exaggeratedly with his hand for Lena to pass and she gave him a small nod and continued her quick pace to the elevator.

Getting off on the third floor only moments later, she walked down the corridor and paused at the office with the name plate, A.D J'onn J'onzz.

She knocked, waited to hear J’onzz’s, _Come in_ , and then entered the office.

“Assistant Director J’onzz, I heard about your promotion last night. I came here to congratulate you, Sir.”

J’onzz stood from his desk with a smile as Lena held out her hand.

“Thank you, Agent Luthor.” He said as they shook.

“I assume your successor here as Assistant Director is yet to be ascertained.”

J’onzz was nodding before Lena had finished speaking, “Before you ask Agent Luthor, you are being considered for the position.”

“Well, I must admit I had already assumed-

“Look, Agent Luthor,” J’onzz sighed, cutting her off.

He gestured for Lena to take a seat as he sat back down at his desk.

“What is it, Assistant Director?” Lena was perfectly calm, a slight eyebrow raise.

“Lena, you’re good. You know you are. We obviously both know that. And you get results, how can I complain when you always get results?”

“Right.” Lena nodded.

“Its… It’s common knowledge, Agent Luthor, that you’re not exactly… _adored_ by the other Agents around here.” J’onzz looked uncomfortable, he brought his hands together on the desk as he seemed to be considering his next words carefully.

“I don’t have many friends, no, but this is my place of employment. I’m not here to make friends, Assistant Director. I’m the best agent you have. I’ve closed more cases than every other Agent on your staff. I caught the Cedar Falls Killer my sixth day on the job.”

“I know and that’s almost unbelievable, Agent Luthor. And you are right, you’re one of the best agents I have.”

“I am the _best_ Agent you have,” Lena corrected him.

“A few of the other agents have described you as arrogant, not a team player-”

“Assistant Director, I must stress that I’ve closed every case I’ve ever worked on-”

“Lena, I’m not saying _no_ , okay? I just…” He breathed a sigh. “How about this… There's a case in National City. I'm going to assign you to that case.”

_“National city?”_

“We’ll set you up with an apartment-”

 _“Apartment?_ How long exactly do you expect me to _be_ in National City?”

“For however long it takes, Agent Luthor, it’s a big case, with a lot of players. You close this one, Agent Luthor and I’ll see what I can do about that promotion.”

“Really?”

J’onzz nodded.

After a moment, he opened a case file on his desk and slid a surveillance photo towards her. It was a man in his late 50s with small eyes, a bold head and dark tattoo indeterminable on his right cheek and down his neck.

“I know who this is,” Lena said, relaxing back in her chair. “His name is Viktor Sokolovskii, he’s also known as the _Russian Butcher_. He first came to the US in 2008, started drug rings in Star City and here in Metropolis. He went off the grid, last seen in 2014.”

J’onzz blinked, obviously impressed with her awareness, “The guy stays so hidden, he’s like a ghost. But here’s the good news, Agent Luthor…” He pressed the tip of his index finger against Sokolovskii’s photo.

“This picture was taken in National City just six days ago…”

Lena met J’onzz gaze as she started to understand her assignment.

“Something’s going on, Agent Luthor. And I’m assigning you to find out. Six dealers in National City turned up dead last week. I need you to find out if this is his work.”

“Sir, I will have Sokolovskii in a maximum security prison by the end of the week.” Lena said with absolute confidence, rising from her chair.

J’onzz followed, also standing, “Listen, if it’s him then something big is happening. Get ahead of it. He’s here and then he’s gone, this won’t be easy. Good luck, Agent Luthor. Consider this a final exam for the job.”

“You can count on me, Sir.”

*

_“Danvers, Captain wants to know when you’re coming in.”_

“Soon.”

Kara hung up before anything more could be said, she dropped the phone onto the empty passenger seat next to her in the unmarked police car. She turned a dial on her dash and music filled the vehicle, she tapped on her steering wheel along with the beat. She trapped a red vine between her teeth before she bit the end off and chewed slowly, clearly quite content.

She was in a run-down part of town, waiting in front of an apartment building with a burnt out car outside. The grass was all over-grown, trash blew by here and there. Not too many people around. Kara’s eyes didn’t leave the front of the building.

Detective Kara Danvers had been staked out there for four and a half hours. She was hot, the midday sun was beating down, her tight black jeans and t-shirt absorbing the heat. She swiped at her brow, adjusted her glasses and started on another red vine.

Suddenly there was movement, the apartment buildings front door swung open and a young skinny man in jeans and expensive looking sneakers skipped down the steps, completely unaware of what was about to happen.

Kara was out of the car in a blink of an eye.

“ _Rojas! You know who I am! National City Police Department! Get down on the ground! Now!_ ” She pulled her gun from its holster at her hip, walking toward Rojas slowly.

Rojas stared at her for moment before he quickly took off running down the street. Kara shoved her gun back in its holster and broke out into a run after him. Rojas didn’t stand a chance, Kara was on him in seconds, she tackled him to the ground.

“I’ve been looking for you for days, Rojas.”

“ _What the fuck, Detective?_ You're so fast. You should seriously consider entering the Olympics with skills like that.”

Kara reached for her handcuffs.

“Did you seriously think you could get away from me?” She said as she secured the cuffs around his wrists.

“Well… _Hey,_ don’t search my pockets!”

Kara tutted as she patted Rojas down.

“Hey, that cocaine… it’s not mine.”

Kara chuckled, “That’s what they all say.”

“I mean it, Detective. I swear it’s not mine.”

“Oh, isn’t it?” Kara stood up, helping Rojas to his feet.

She lightly brushed a hand over his shoulder, brushing away any dirt left on the front of his shirt, “Well then, I guess you’re free to go, Rojas.”

He stared at her suspiciously. _“Really?”_

Kara smirked.

“You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say can be used against you in a court of law…”

*

Lena strolled through a large busy office in the National City FBI field office, she’d only been in the city a few hours, she hadn’t even visited her new apartment yet, familiarising herself with the new office took precedence.

She approached a young agent who was staring at his computer screen.

“Good Afternoon, I’m Agent Luthor. Are you Agent Schott?”

Agent Schott yelped and jumped up from his chair, knocking a Rubik’s cube off his desk to the ground.

 _“Yes_. I mean, _no._ No, I mean, yes that’s me but I don’t go by Schott, I prefer Winn.”

Lena stared at him.

“And you are? Sorry?”

“Agent Luthor. I’m based in Metropolis, I’ve been assigned a case here in National City. I need information, your superior sent me to find you.”

“Right, yes.” Winn nodded, “Yes, information. _Sure!_ What d’ya need?”

“I need a list every known drug dealer within an eight mile radius of where the bodies in the east river were found.”

“Oh, you’re working _that_ case. Okay, hang on,” Agent Winn sat back down, his fingers gliding along the keyboard.

Lena waited for only a few seconds before she determined she’d waited long enough.

“Why don’t you just send everything you have to this number,” she said, scribbling on post it note from the desk.

“Actually, Agent Luthor… “ Winn glanced up at her, “A dealer called Terrell Rojas, was just brought into the 70th precinct this afternoon.”

*

Lena marched into the 70th precinct with her usual air of authority, holding her ID badge up as she approached the desk.

“I’m Agent Lena Luthor, I’m with the FBI. We got intel you recently brought in a dealer, Terrell Rojas. I need to speak with him.”

“Well, the detective who brought him in is still on lunch so you’ll have to wait until she gets back," Said the officer behind the desk.

Lena frowned, raising a brow.

 _“What?_ Frankly, it doesn’t matter who brought him in. I have jurisdiction, this is an FBI matter and every second wasted here is interfering with a federal investigation. So, open his cell and be so kind as to show him to an interrogation room… _please._ ”

The officer stared at Lena for a moment and then nodded promptly.

*

Lena dropped a bottle of water on the table in front of Rojas as she took her seat opposite.

“Mr Rojas, I’m Agent Luthor with the FBI-”

“Where’s the other one gone? The detective…” Rojas interrupted, looking cautiously toward the door as if he expected it to slam open at any moment.

“I’m not sure who you mean. This is an FBI matter now, Mr Rojas.”

 _“FBI? Really?”_ Rojas sat forward in his chair as if intrigued.

“Who do you work for?”

“I want a lawyer,” Rojas said, looking away.

“You can get a lawyer, Mr Rojas but, just so you know, I’m not interested in throwing you in jail. I want to help you and in return, you can help me, okay?”

Rojas sighed and sat back in this chair.

“You’re going to be my new informant. Did you know that six dealers in the area are dead? Usually when that happens, that means someone new has taken over. But I think you know that already, don’t you? I think these guys paid you a visit and now you’re working for them. Am I right? I want you to tell me all about them. They never have to know we talked. So, who are they?”

Rojas shrugged _, “_ Some _crazy ass Russian dudes.”_

“You will have immunity, Mr Rojas, if you can answer all my questions. What can you tell me about-”

The door suddenly swung open.

 _“Immunity?_ I don’t think so.”

Detective Kara Danvers stood in the doorway, a crinkle in her brow. She frowned at Rojas and then passed her gaze over to Agent Luthor. She blinked in what might have been surprise and then gazed at her questionably.

“Who are you?” Kara asked.

“Agent Luthor, I’m with the FBI.”

“This is _my_ guy,” Kara gestured to Rojas, “I brought him in an hour ago.”

“Right,” Lena stood, “I’m taking over from here, Officer…?”

 _“Detective_ Danvers.”

“The FBI now have jurisdiction over this-”

 _“No,_ I need to talk to him,” Kara interrupted, folding her arms and leaning on the door frame.

Lena couldn’t stop her eyes from raking over Detective Danvers’ toned arms. The detective’s annoyed expression was unexpectedly very attractive and Lena almost forgot what she was here for.

“Detective Danvers. I must insist-”

“I arrested Rojas, this is my-”

“Detective, can I see you outside for a moment?”

Kara’s frown deepened.

Rojas slipped lower in his chair, chuckling to himself.

Kara narrowed her eyes at him before diverting her attention back to Agent Luthor.

“Is that a threat?”

 _“What? No, not at all,_ Detective. Of course not. I think we’re getting off on the wrong foot here,” Lena said, unexpectedly flustered.

Kara eyed Lena suspiciously.

“Let’s just step outside of this room and allow me to please discuss this matter with yourself and the Captain.”

After a moment, Kara stood aside, her eyes flickered down Lena’s figure and back up as she passed. Her nose flaring as a waft of pleasant perfume followed Agent Luthor out of the room.

“Hey, can I get a-”

Kara closed the door on Rojas.

“Take him back to his cell,” Kara said to an officer outside the door before following on after Agent Luthor, picking up the pace to keep up. Kara frowned at the back of her head.

Who was this woman? Kara had only been in her company for mere seconds and she was furious and totally flustered, though she did her best to hide that. There was something absurdly attractive about this FBI agent, she had an authoritative presence about her that Kara suddenly wanted to strip away and see what lay underneath. But somehow, she was also annoying as hell, she’d ruined a whole days work for Kara. Rojas was _her_ collar. How dare she step in and start making calls on a guy she hadn’t even had the chance to question yet.

Lena turned right down the corridor, the wrong direction.

“Erm… Agent _Leth?_ You’re going the wrong-” Kara pointed over her shoulder.

“Luthor,” the agent said, heading back in the opposite direction.

_“Huh?”_

“My name is Agent Luthor,” Lena said as she passed.

*

“I talked to their guy in charge and there’s nothing I can do. This is out of my hands, Danvers.” The captain said, placing the phone down.

Lena and Kara stood awkwardly side by side facing the Captains desk.

“Thank you. I’d better get going,” Lena said, happy that the matter had been settled so swiftly.

Kara stepped in front of the door, her hands landing on her hips, “ _Oh_ , so you’re all done ruining other people’s busts for the day?”

“Come on, Detective Danvers, you had Rojas on what? _Possession?_ How long were you hoping to keep him on that?” Lena reasoned.

“Any amount of time that keeps him from going right back out there and selling coke and whatever else he can get his hands on. Who’s so important that you’re after?” Kara glared at her.

“Look, my case is highly classified,” Lena said, importantly, holding up the file, “And you just don't have the clearance-”

Kara snatched the folder out of Lena’s hand and had it open before she even realised she wasn’t holding it anymore. Kara was looking at Sokolovskii‘s photo and his file.

“Who’s Viktor Sokolovskii?” Kara said, looking up at Agent Luthor expectantly.

 _“Oh my god! You can't just-”_ Lena snatched the folder back.

There was a moment of silence as Kara and Lena stared at each other furiously.

Kara then nodded at the Captain before sauntering out of the office without another word.

“I’m sorry about her.” The Captain said, gesturing in Kara’s direction. “She has a real thing with dealers.”

“Well, look, this is a real problem for me now. I can’t have her running around talking about this case. I really can’t. Do you have no control over your employees?”

“Detective Danvers is probably the best detective I have. She’s just very passionate about her work, she's strong-willed and she has strong sense of what is right.”

“Where would she have gone? I need to talk to her. She can’t say a word about this.”

“Erm.. You could try O’Flanagan’s, it’s down the street.”

_“What?”_

“It’s a bar down the street. Some of the guys go there after work. Danvers tends to go there after a bad day on the job. Try there.”

*

Lena stepped inside the bar, blinking as her eyes adjusted to the low light inside.

It was dark, the windows didn’t appear to let in too much light. There were a few other patrons sat around, some officers playing pool. Lena’s eyes travelled across the room, landing on Detective Danvers sat at the bar alone.

Wasting no time, Lena marched right over, “Detec-”

She couldn’t stop the yelp of laughter from leaving her lips.

Detective Danvers was drinking what appeared to be a fruity cocktail loaded with ice, not exactly what Lena had been expecting.

Kara glanced around at her with an annoyed crinkle in her brow. Lena held back a smile, she couldn’t help but think Kara’s scowl was rather adorable.

“Sorry, I um… wasn’t expecting the… never mind.” Lena shook her head and took a seat beside her.

“What do you want?” Kara said, looking away.

“Alright. I know you’re angry. You’ve probably been after Rojas for a while, I get it. But this guy I’m looking for is on a whole other level. I mean he has murdered thirty-six people that we know of. Look at this…” Lena dropped the file on the bar in front of them.

“I’m asking you to please keep quiet about this. We tried to get him in 2013 but it was completely botched. I can’t have a repeat of that. This guy is finally showing his face around National City again which means-”

“Something big is coming,” Kara said, meeting her gaze.

 _“Exactly._ ”

Kara seemed to consider this information for a moment and then sighed, moving her straw around her glass.

“2013? That’s when my sister went to jail.” She said thoughtfully, “Hey, can I see that picture again?”

Lena nodded, handing the picture from the file over to Kara.

“Detective, I’ve got everything under control here. I’ll get him and that’s a promise. So… are we good here?” Lena placed a hand on Kara’s shoulder in an awkward kind of pat, that one might do to a child.

Kara sipped her drink, her only response was a barely noticeable shrug of her shoulders.

“Sorry, what is your name?” Lena asked.

“Kara, Kara Danvers.”

Lena held out her hand with what she hoped was a pleasant smile.

Kara shook.

“I’m Lena. The captain… he seems rather fond of you. He said… he said you might be the best detective he has and that… you are very passionate about your work.”

Kara moved the straw around her drink.

“He said that?” She smiled, shaking her head. “What a doofus.”

“ _A doofus?”_ Lena looked amused.

 _Passionate…_ Kara shook her head.

“I’m just…” she sighed, “When you’ve seen what I’ve seen… and you’ve had to do what I’ve had to do…”

“What can I get you?” The bartender interupted, looking at Lena expectantly.

“No thank you. I – nothing for me,” Lena closed the case file and shoved it into her bag.

She turned back to Kara, “I’d better be going. Don’t worry, Detective Danvers, I’ve got everything under control.”

“I guess we’ll just have to see about that, huh, Agent Luthor?” Kara met her gaze, studying Lena closely. Her corners of her lips slowly curving up into a smile.

“Trust me,” Lena winked before she turned quickly and headed for the door.

Kara’s eyes remained on Lena until she left the bar.

*

The next morning, Lena trooped through the 70th precinct, with renewed confidence about her assignment, feeling fired up and ready to go. She’d planned it all out, she’d get Rojas transferred over to the FBI field office, she’d question him there, get all the information she needed and proceed on with the case.

“Mr Rojas,” Lena approached his cell, “I’m making arrangements to have you transferred to the FBI field office shortly.”

“Good, _get me out of here!_ That blonde detective grilled me all morning!”

“What did you say?” Lena frowned, taking a step closer.

“And she kept waving that damn picture around!”

“What picture?”

“The _crazy ass Russian dude!”_

Lena’s eyebrow raised, she could feel her temper rising. “Are you telling me that Detective Danvers has already questioned you this morning before I arrived?”

“I told her everything she wanted to know! Can you please let me go now?”

Lena ripped open her bag, grabbing the file and searching through it, the photograph was missing.

“She stole my photograph. She stole my _goddamn photograph!”_ Lena grumbled, pinching the bridge of her nose and taking a calming breath.

“What did you say to her?” Lena asked after a moment.

“I told her who hooks me up.”

“You told Detective Danvers who hooks you up?”

“Yeah and I told her exactly where that bitch lives too.”

_“You did what?!”_

“But that’s what you wanted, right?”

*

Lena pulled up outside of an apartment building, the location given by Rojas. The home of Tatiana Puchkina.

She grimaced as she stepped out of the car, glancing around. This area of the city was rather neglected. Not the sort of place Lena usually frequented.

She smoothed down her dark purple skirt and adjusted her matching jacket.

Glancing up and down the street, spotting Detective Danvers sitting in her car not too far away.

Kara, who had been watching Agent Luthor as soon as she pulled up, gave her a small wave and a mischievous smile as she ripped bits off a pretzel and bopped her head along to her music.

Lena could hear singing as she approached the vehicle.

_“There’s nothing that a hundred men or more could ever dooooo. I bless the rainnnns down in Africaaaaa.”_

Lena looked around self-consciously as she approached the car as if she thought she was walking into some kind of trap.

Kara smiled and turned the music down as Lena got close.

“Morning, Agent Luthor.”

“Listen Danvers, I tried to ask you nicely but if you don’t stay out of this, I’ll be forced to… I’m going to have you suspended.” Lena said through gritted teeth.

Lena’s heart beat just a little too fast, she was uncharacteristically nervous, something about the amused look on Kara’s face made her stutter a little.

“Suspended?” Kara smiled wider. “You’d need approval from someone way higher up than you to do that, right?”

“I’ll call my superior right now, it won’t be a problem,” Lena said, immediately hunting for her phone.

She walked away from the car, just far enough for the conversation to be discreet.

She heard Kara chuckling behind her as she called for Assistant Director J’onzz.

_“Assistant Director J’onzz.”_

“Assistant Director J’onzz, this is Agent Lena-”

_“I know who you are.”_

“Assistant Director, I need permission to have a local detective temporarily suspended, effective immediately.”

_“Luthor, why is working with local authorities such a problem for you?”_

“She’s getting in the way of my investigation. She’s messing everything up!” Lena glanced back over her shoulder at Kara who have her another little wave.

Lena narrowed her eyes at her.

_“I’ve already spoken to the Captain down at that precinct. Sounds like this person might have the info you need and resources too, Luthor. Work with her, just get it done.”_

The line went dead.

Lena stared at the phone in a moment of horror.

Work with her… _Work with her?!_

She slowly turned to face Detective Danvers.

Kara smiled.

Lena cleared her throat as she approached the vehicle, trying to be nonchalant.

“Firstly, your smile is… _annoying_. And secondly, I have decided you may have resources and knowledge of this area that could provide useful to my investigation.”

“Is that right?” Kara adjusted her glasses and relaxed her arm across the open window frame. “You want to work with me?”

“Yes, Detective Danvers,” Lena said reluctantly with a quick nod of her head.

“Okay, I’ll work with you.” Kara looked amused as she seemed to consider the offer, “Just as long as we both understand, this is my case.” She said as she opened the car door and hopped out.

Lena couldn’t help but notice Kara’s lean build again as she rose to full height. Her washed out grey jeans clung to her legs agreeably and her white t-shirt gleamed as it hit the sunlight, almost blinding her. Kara tapped her pockets, her badge and then her weapon, almost habitually.

 _“No, no_ , this an FBI matter-”

But Kara wasn’t listening, she was already walking towards the apartment building.

“Come on, Agent Luthor, we’ve got a suspect to question!”

Kara held the door open for Lena as she walked up the steps into the building.

“You’re not hot in suit, Agent Luthor?” Kara smirked.

“I’m just maintaining a professional appearance,” Lena said, casting a disapproving glance towards Kara’s casual attire.

“It’s like a hundred degrees though.”

Lena shook her head, dismissing Kara and focusing on the task at hand.

When they reached what they both agreed was the right door, Kara immediately reached out a hand to knock.

Lena grabbed her hand to stop her, “Remember, I’m leading this thing so I’ll be asking all the questions. Stay quiet and _don’t_ mention Sokolovskii.”

“Alright,” Kara shrugged, smiling at Lena before knocking on the door.

After a moment Kara knocked again, a little harder.

“Looks like the residence may be empty,” Lena mumbled in disappointment, already considering her next move.

Kara sucked in a breath to speak but an older lady from the apartment next door opened her door.

“Oh, excuse me?” Lena said politely, “Have you seen the individual that lives here today?”

The elder lady frowned and spoke in a rather aggressive tone, “I haven’t seen anything and I’m not saying nothing.”

She eyed them both suspiciously.

“You’re lying to us,” Kara said assuredly.

_“Fuck off.”_

Kara looked taken aback, her mouth dropping open in disgust and then she glared, taking one step toward the older lady.

Lena grabbed at Kara’s elbow, suddenly worried about what she might do.

Not that it mattered too much, as the woman seemed to take Kara’s step forward a menacing enough threat and quickly started talking. “Alright, I saw her go in about ten minutes ago.”

“Thank you,” Lena said, as Kara turned and starting pounding on the door.

_“This is the National City PD. Open the door up or we’re breaking it down!”_

The door suddenly swung open.

A thin lady in a robe, with long ratty blonde hair was stood on the other side, smoking a cigarette, long hoop earrings dangling from her ears and bright pink lipstick coating her lips.

“What do you want?” She spoke in a thick Russian accent.

“Good afternoon, are you Tatiana Puchkina?” Lena pushed, elbowing Kara out of the way. “I’m Special Agent Luthor, I’m here to ask you a few questions.”

“Come back later.”

Tatiana made to shut the door but Kara stepped around, a hand landing on Lena’s waist as she stuck her foot in the door.

“Now is much better for us though,” Kara said, urging Lena forward until she stepped inside.

Tatiana’s apartment was small and bare. There was one couch which she sat on and she gestured towards one lonely plastic garden chair.

After an awkward moment, Lena took the seat. Kara leaned against the wall next to the door.

“Thank you. That’s very kind. So Tatiana, have you lived here long?”

“What do you want?” Tatiana murmured, lighting a new cigarette, and tightening her robe around herself.

“We have a bit of a situation, Ms Puchkina…” Lena cleared her throat, considering her words.

Kara released an impatient breath and spoke up, “There’s evidence that indicates that you have been supplying cocaine and heroin. We have a witness that will testify against you and-”

Lena sighed, shaking her head. Of course Kara wouldn’t listen to her and just keep quiet.

“Perhaps we can continue our conversation in Russian.” Lena spoke in perfect Russian, making Kara pause and stare at her. “We can protect you. You don’t have to be afraid.”

Kara raised a brow, “Well that’s just not fair.”

She leaned back against the wall.

Lena continued in Russian, “Right now, in our eyes, you’re the head of all of this. But, you can tell us otherwise and you won’t have to do life in prison.”

“I don’t even understand what you are saying,” Tatiana replied in English.

Kara burst into laughter, “Great Russian, Agent Luthor.”

“Hold on, that was perfect Russian,” Lena glared at her.

“I mean, I don’t understand what you are talking about. Why I go to life in prison when I don’t do nothing wrong!”

Lena looked back over her shoulder toward Kara, “So, she understood my Russian perfectly, it was what I said that she is struggling to comprehend-”

“Tell us what we need to _know!_ Who’s in charge? And where can we find them?!” Kara yelled, placing her hands on her hips.

Lena swallowed thickly and looked away, her face heating up. If she were Tatiana, she’d tell Detective Danvers everything she wanted to know and more.

Tatiana stubbed out her cigarette in the ashtray, a small pile of lipstick stained cigarettes butts littered the tray and one half smoked cigarette without a hint of lipstick.

“I think it’s time you leave,” Tatiana said, jumping up from the couch and heading towards the door.

Lena slipped a hand into her pocket, grabbing a plastic bag which she quietly slipped the odd cigarette into as Tatiana had her back turned.

“Have a good day, Ms Puchkina,” Lena said as she stood.

They left the apartment, the door slamming behind them causing a dog to bark like crazy on the floor below them.

“Agent Luthor,” Kara smirked as they descended the stairs, she looked impressed. “What did you take?”

Lena blinked, surprised that the detective had caught that.

“I noticed a cigarette butt that wasn’t hers. I’ll to bring it to forensics, run the prints. Maybe it’s the guy she gets the re-up from.”

“Well, I stole these,” Kara said, pulling out some matches with a symbol of a white tiger on them. “It’s from a Russian nightclub not far from here. You never know, could be his too.”

“Well, let’s find out.”

“Wait, I’m just going to make a sandwich,” Kara said, stopping outside of an apartment door, she pulled out a key, unlocked it and walked in.

 _“What the – you live here?!”_ Lena stood horrified in the doorway.

Kara’s apartment was small just like Tatiana’s but had some character. It was clean but not so tidy. There were odd knickknacks lying around. The bed in the corner was made, there was a used plate and cup on the small coffee table in front of the tv.

Lena looked around uncomfortably and then wandered over to the book shelf, picking up a framed photograph.

“Oh, that’s my family.” Kara said, “Me, my sister and my adoptive parents, Jeremiah and Eliza.” She pointed each person out.

“You want a sandwich?”

“No thanks, I’ll just grab something later,” Lena placed the frame back.

“Is this your sister… you said your sister was in prison.” Lena said, she wasn't sure whether it was a good idea to raise the topic.

“Well, she’s not anymore, she got out _today_ actually.” Kara smiled.

“No offence but aren’t you terrified of living in this building?” Lena glanced out of the nearest window, down into the street below.

Kara looked up from her sandwich making and shrugged. “Why? No one bothers me, they know who I am.”

“Okay, you ready to go?” Kara took a large bite of her sandwich.

“Yes please.” Lena smiled.

*

Kara had never been to the FBI offices in National City, she followed Agent Luthor, glancing around the busy office distractedly, almost walking into Lena as she paused at a desk.

“Agent Winn, did you match the prints?”

“Yes!” Agent Winn turned his screen around for Lena to see, “We got two sets of prints off of what you gave us.”

“The first one sounds like a _total_ nut job. Arrests made for assault, arson, she’s actually-”

Kara’s photo appeared on the screen.

Winn did a double take and then looked over at Lena in alarm.

Lena looked toward Kara who merely shrugged, “It wasn’t actually arson, _well_ it was but it wasn’t technically _me_ … never mind, it doesn’t matter.” She waved a hand dismissively.

“Um, so, that one’s fine. What are the other prints?”

Winn still glanced cautiously at Kara before moving on.

A photo of a large Russian man popped up on the screen.

“His name Ivan Roschin. He’s 6’3. 250 pounds. Veteran of Russia’s Special Forces. Several priors including extortion, domestic abuse and sexual assault.”

“Any known addresses?”

“Nothing on file.”

“Send me everything you have on this guy.”

She turned to Kara, “Let’s go to the White Tiger, see if Mr Roschin makes an appearance.”

They walk out side by side. Kara held the door open for Lena as they exit the building.

Lena smiled at her, “It seems I must check out your file, Detective Danvers.”

Kara raised a brow, “Well, that would be kinda inappropriate and a complete invasion of my privacy…”

Lena chuckled.

*

They were sitting in Lena’s car, they had been watching the club for just under two hours. A queue of people were waiting to enter the club but no sign of Roschin or Sokolovskii.

They’d been sitting in silence. Kara had tried to turn on the radio a few times but Lena kept turning it off or smacking her hand away from the dial.

Lena cleared her throat, “So… how long have you been a cop?”

“Eight years.” Kara stared ahead.

Lena nodded.

“I’ve been at the bureau for about 10 years. I’m actually up for a promotion to an A.D. Sooner than usual I know, but I solved a pretty big case early on my career. Did you ever hear of the Cedar Falls Killer?”

“Oh yeah. I saw that on the news,” Kara nodded, appearing mostly uninterested.

“Yeah, it was pretty big story at the time,” Lena said, nodding proudly.

“I always thought the guy was innocent,” Kara stared at the club entrance, tapping her fingers on the open window frame.

“What do you mean?” Lena frowned.

Kara shrugged, “I don’t know. I saw him talking on the news once. I can always tell when someone is lying. And that guy wasn’t. I’m pretty good with that sort of thing.”

“What? You can’t just casually say something like that. I built my entire career around this case. He’s been in jail for a decade. You saw one interview on the news and you believe he was innocent? _Please_. I tracked him. Studied him. Interrogated him face to face-”

“I’m very intuitive like that,” Kara smiled at her.

Lena blinked, she didn’t know whether to be annoyed or amused.

“Alright. Let’s play a game.”

Kara smirked, “Seems like a weird time.”

Lena rolled her eyes, “It’s related to what we’re talking about. Two truths and a lie. I’ll tell you three things about myself and you tell me which is a lie.”

Kara tugged her bottom lip between her teeth as she smiled at Agent Luthor.

Lena looked away, feeling her face flush.

“Okay,” she cleared her throat. “Number one, I’m an only child-”

“Are they all going to be that obvious?” Kara interrupted.

Lena felt hot as all of Kara’s attention was now focused on her.

“Fine. I can run a mile in under five minutes. I was born and raised in Gotham. And I got into Harvard Law but I turned it down.”

Kara sucked in a breath and spoke after a moment, “They’re all lies.”

Lena let out an annoyed huff and crossed her arms.

Kara chuckled and returned her gaze to the club.

“You’re cute,” Kara mumbled.

Lena sucked in a short breath at Kara’s words, her heart rate picking up pace.

Kara thought she was cute?

“Oh um… Detective,” she sucked in a breath, her mouth feeling dry. “Kara, you should know… I don’t date co-workers.”

Kara glanced over at her, completely at ease, “Oh yeah, who asked?”

“What?” Lena frowned in confusion.

“Who asked you on a date?”

“No one I just… I thought you should know.” Lena looked away, feeling suddenly mortified. She suddenly wished to be anywhere but there.

“Okay,” Kara nodded, smiling broadly. “I’ll be sure to let the rest of the guys in the precinct know? I’ll send a tasteful email or something, or would you prefer the monthly newsletter?”

Lena huffed in embarrassment and Kara chuckled before they fell silent again.

“You’re different,” Lena murmured after a moment.

“What do you mean?”

“Then yesterday. You’re like a different person.”

“Well yesterday I was pissed about Rojas. And… you didn’t exactly make a very good first impression.” Kara replied.

“Neither did you.”

 _“Hey,_ I’m a delight,” Kara smiled, feigning shock at Lena’s words.

“You were rude to me. You stole my photograph and you questioned Rojas this morning when you were so clearly told to back down. You could have ruined the entire investigation.”

Kara wrinkled her nose dismissively, “Okay, I apologise for that. But, look at us now. Does it really matter?”

Lena huffed, “I guess not.”

Kara’s gaze returned to the entrance of the club.

“… Looks like we got some action.”

A group of men were climbing out of an SUV.

“That’s him, that’s Ivan Roschin,” Lena whispered, pointing him out.

They watch the men enter the club.

“I’m going in, wait in the car,” Lena said, opening her door.

When Lena turned back to glance at Kara she was already out of the car and walking toward the entrance of the club, pulling on a dark jacket.

“I cannot believe we just paid fifteen dollars each to get into this place,” Kara said, looking around unapprovingly.

The club was covered in large prints and murals of White Tigers and nearly everything else was painted gold and cheap looking. Music that was a little too dated was playing loudly over the speakers.

 _“I_ paid the fifteen dollars for both of us,” Lena frowned.

Kara failed to hold back a grin, “I don’t have any cash on me. Can’t you just claim it back?”

“Forget about it. This place is kinda tacky,” Lena yelled to Kara over the loud music as they walked over to the bar.

Lena ordered a soda while Kara ordered a cocktail.

“Just keep your eyes peeled and don’t stand out,” Lena said into Kara’s ear.

“Coming from you? You’re dressed like the First Lady.”

“This is what I wear to work,” Lena glared.

“You could have dressed down for this, at least lose the jacket,” Kara said, reaching for the buttons on Lena’s suit jacket.

Lena shoved her hands away, “I didn’t know we were going end up here!”

 _“Oh_ , I love this song!” Kara started bopping her head as Whitney Houston began to play.

Lena huffed out an annoyed breath. _God, she’s like a puppy…_

“Listen.” She placed her hands on Kara’s shoulders, _“Listen_ to me. _Stop_ dancing.”

“This is the plan. I’m going to the bathroom. We’ll do an exploration of the interior of the club and we’ll meet back here in fifteen minutes. Okay?” Lena checked her watch.

“Sounds good to me, Agent Luthor,” Kara said, taking a sip of her cocktail, already strolling away, hips swaying to the music.

Lena groaned.

Kara found some stairs which seemed to lead to a balcony. She headed up, from there she would get a good view of the whole of the ground floor. She glanced around, there was another bar up there, it was much quieter. One man sat at the bar nursing a drink. Kara leaned on the balcony and stared down into the throngs of people below.

After a few moments, she felt a presence beside her, she expected to see Agent Luthor but when she looked up the man from the bar had wandered over to stand next to her.

“Not having a good time?”

Kara merely regarded him for a second and then went back to searching the crowd below.

“You look very interesting to me. What’s interesting about you?” He asked, leaning closer.

Kara adjusted her glasses. “You want _me_ to tell _you_ how I’m interesting? What’s wrong with you?”

“ _Ah_ …” he nodded slowly, looking Kara up and down.

She frowned, itching to push him away.

“Don’t like men?”

Kara’s frown deepened but she stood up straighter and smiled at him, “Sure I do.. Have you seen any around?”

“Why you gotta be so rude? You’re the type of girl I could have a lot of fun with…”

Kara had had enough, she pulled aside her jacket, revealing her weapon on her hip.

 _“Back off…”_ She said sternly.

He eyed for a moment and then stepped away, disappearing down the stairs.

Minutes passed and Kara couldn’t see anyone or anything suspicious below. She couldn’t find Agent Luthor in the crowd either. She took off back down the steps and headed toward the bar.

Lena was there, sat at the bar, chatting with a tall, broad chested man. Kara frowned as she reached them, they were both speaking in Russian so she couldn’t understand. The large man let out a loud booming laugh at something Lena had whispered close to his ear.

 _“Oh Kara,_ there you are! This is Pavell, he knows Ivan!” Lena smiled, placing a hand on Pavell’s bicep.

“Great,” Kara said unenthusiastically, eyeing the both of them. Lena had undone all of the buttons on her suit jacket.

Kara wanted to push Pavell away from Agent Luthor and capture all of her attention for herself.

“I was just telling Pavell how Ivan and I have a mutual friend,” Lena said, nodding.

“Ivan, he is probably in the back,” Pavell said, finishing his drink.

“Oh. Do you know anyone with enough _pull_ to get us in there?” Lena smirked at him, batting her lashes.

Kara started to wonder whether she’d fallen down the stairs and hit her head.

 _“Pfft._ I could get you girls in there no problem… follow me.” Pavell finished this statement with a wink as he pushed off from the bar.

Kara lightly grabbed Lena’s arm as Pavell lead them across the club.

“What are you doing?”

“I’m undercover, what does it look like?”

“It looked like you were all over him.”

 _“Shh,_ this is it.” Lena said, grabbing a hold of Kara’s forearm as they came to a stop.

A large gentleman approached and appeared to whisper into Pavell’s ear.

Pavell’s eyes then landed on Kara and he stared at her suspiciously.

Something was wrong.

“What did you do?” Lena mumbled under her breath.

“Ivan, actually he is in the basement! We will go there instead.” Pavell said, his smile a little too forced.

They move on, joined soon by some other large gentlemen. They were now definitely, completely outnumbered.

Lena looked around quickly, she paused outside of a bathroom. “Hey, do you mind if I use the bathroom? The one back in the club had a line.”

She pulled Kara inside without waiting for a response, locking the door.

“Something’s off. We’ve been made.”

Kara rubbed at the back of her neck, she didn’t want to tell Agent Luthor what had happened on the balcony. She knew this was probably her fault.

Lena began pulling at the window on the other side of the bathroom, “The _damn_ window won’t budge. What are we going to do? We can’t go back out there…”

Kara shrugged off her jacket, wrapping it around her fist. She motioned for Lena to flush the toilet and as she did so, Kara smashed the glass through.

Just as the men on the other side of the door grew suspicious and started thumping on the bathroom door, Lena and Kara climb out of the window and disappeared around the side of the club.

 _“Hurry up!_ Get back to the car!” Agent Luthor whisper yelled.

But Kara’s steps faltered as they came around the front of the building. As her eyes scanned the crowd, she saw none other than her sister Alex entering the club.

Back at the car, Kara climbed in next to Agent Luthor.

“What’s up?” Lena pulled away quickly, speeding off down the street.

“ I just… saw my sister, Alex.”

“Great,” Lena nodded.

 _“What?”_ Kara glared at her.

“We have a link now, a person on the inside,” Lena nodded.

 _“No we do not!_ Alex is not getting involved in any of this. She only just got out of jail.” Kara said angrily.

“Kara, this is huge. We have to talk to her. _Tomorrow_. Where can we find her?”

“She’s probably staying at my parents.”

“In Midvale?”

Kara glared at her suspiciously.

“...I may have asked Agent Winn to email me your file.”

_“Lena!”_

“What? I was intrigued…” Lena shrugged it off.

Kara released a harsh breath. “Yes in Midvale but I haven’t really been there in a while.”

“Why not?”

“Erm, things got kind of awkward cause well… I was the one who put Alex in jail.” Kara blurted out.

There was a moment of silence as Lena digested this information.

“Why?”

Kara chewed her lip, “She was in deep with these guys and she was dealing and using. I mean, she was trapped, without any way out so I did the only thing I could think of and I … arrested her. I’m the reason my sister was in jail. It was my fault. I should’ve seen what was happening, I should been there to help her before things got so out of control.”

“The captain said you had a thing with the dealers. Now I understand… it sounds like you probably saved her life, Kara.” Lena glanced across quickly and then returned her gaze to the road.

“How are things with your family now?”

“Okay I guess. Me and Alex are still close, she understands what I did.” Kara huffed, “I can’t believe she would be at that club tonight. I trusted her… I thought this was all over.”

“If there’s an issue, I’ll go on my own.”

“Huh?”

“To talk to your sister.”

“No, I don’t think so. Lena, this my family,” Kara shook her head.

“You just said, no, we weren’t going.”

“I said no, we’re not involving her in this. I’m still going,” Kara insisted, narrowing her eyes.

Lena pulled up outside of Kara’s apartment building.

Kara opened the car door.

“Do you want me to walk you inside?” Lena asked, glancing around the street nervously.

Kara broke out into a grin and then laughed, shaking her head, “I think I’ve got it.”

“I’m sorry,” Lena mumbled.

Kara’s eyebrows drew together, “For what?”

“For reading your file.”

Kara nodded slowly, her lip between her teeth. She didn’t say anything more as she got out of the car.

“I’ll see you tomorrow?” Lena asked.

“Of course, this _is_ my case,” Kara said, grabbing her jacket.

“Actually it’s an FBI-”

Kara had already swung the car door closed.

Lena watched Kara until she disappeared into the building.


	2. One of them days

Lena grumbled tiredly, rubbing a hand over her face and throwing back the sheets. She slipped out of bed and subsequently bumped straight into the wall.

_“Shit.”_

In her weary state, Lena had forgotten where she was. In her new apartment in National City and so a wall now stood where the exit of her bedroom used to be.

She staggered across the room to the actual bedroom door, struggling for a moment to remember the layout of her new place. She made it into the kitchen, almost tripping on unopened boxes of her belongings that were scattered around the apartment. She went about making herself a strong coffee.

She let her mind wander back to the events of previous day and to Detective Danvers, she felt a little rush of excitement run through her at the prospect of seeing Kara again. A feeling she wouldn’t let herself dwell on for too long, concluding it was just her eagerness to move forward with the case and not actually anything to do with Detective Danvers.

Just as she was about to take the very first sip of coffee, there was a loud knock at the door. Lena jumped, half the hot liquid spilling down her arm and soaking the front of her shirt. Yelping in pain, she hopped around the kitchen for a few seconds and tried to find something to dry herself off with but gave up, hurrying over to the door and peering through the peep hole.

Detective Kara Danvers was waiting on the other side.

“What are you doing here?” Lena frowned, opening the door.

“Invading your privacy. Good morning to you too, Agent Luthor,” Kara strolled in confidently, without really being invited.

“Nice place,” she glanced around for a moment before turning back to Agent Luthor with a smile.

“Why are you so… wet?”

“There was an um… Spilled my coffee,” Lena mumbled, wondering if she was still asleep and if was actually all a dream.

Kara was wearing jeans but was today donning a blue shirt with white polka dots, the sleeves rolled about halfway up her forearms. Lena briefly wondered if she was off duty today or something but her weapon and badge were still strapped to her hip. She wouldn’t allow herself to become distracted by Detective Danvers, she shook her head and moved on.

“What do you mean _invading my privacy?”_

Kara strolled around boldly with a mischievous smile, lightly nudged one of Lena’s open unpacked boxes with the toe of her shoe and peeked a look inside.

“What are you doing?”

“It’s not very nice is it?” Kara grinned.

 _“Oh,_ you’re referring to me reading your file... I did apologise for that.”

“ _Hmm hmm,”_ Kara nodded, leaning on the back of the couch and studying her.

“This really isn’t quite the same though, Detective,” Lena ran a hand through her bed hair.

“Your hair looks nice like that.” Kara commented.

“Erm…” Lena could feel the heat warming her cheeks, her brow furrowed.

“And nice pyjamas, by the way,” Kara chuckled, her gaze drifting down and back up.

 _What was happening?_ Lena could hardly form a sentence all of a sudden. Kara’s unexpected appearance in her apartment had really thrown her. And she was stood in a pair of old pyjama shorts patterned with stars and a ratty ripped t-shirt from the FBI academy.

“ _Oh my god._ Is this your high school year book here?” Kara giggled, reaching into the closest box. “Why would you bring this with you?”

 _“Hey!_ Give that to me.” Kara opened the book to a random page just as Lena snatched it from her grasp.

“I get it. My year book photo wasn’t great either.”

 _“Excuse me, Detective.”_ She paused to glare at Detective Danvers. 

_“_ This happens to be everything I own,” Lena said uncomfortably, jostling the box away from Kara with her foot in case there was anymore embarrassing items to be found inside.

“Oh… really? You don’t really have a lot of stuff,” Kara said, folding her arms across her chest.

“No, I suppose I don’t,” Lena responded, wondering what exactly the point of this conversation was and what Kara was even doing here.

“Let’s go. Big day ahead.” Kara said, standing straight and stretching her arms over her head.

Lena looked away quickly.

“I need to get dressed, Detective.”

“By all means,” Kara smiled, “I’ll just wait right here.”

Lena narrowed her eyes at Detective Danvers, hugged her year book closer to her chest as she walked away, planning to throw it into the back of the closet.

“Help yourself to coffee… Don’t look through my things.”

Kara chuckled behind her.

*

Though Kara had seemed completely at ease when they had first climbed into Lena’s car, commenting once more on Lena’s apparent unnecessary work attire, today a maroon skirt with matching blazer. Kara seemed to become steadily uneasy and tense the closer they got to her childhood home. Tapping her fingers restlessly against her thigh and occasionally pulling at the collar on her shirt.

“Okay so, remember what I said, we are not going to involve Alex in _any_ of this. _I_ will talk to her and find out what she was doing at that club last night _and_ if she knows anything that could help us. I trust her and I know there has to be a reasonable explanation for all this.”

Lena’s brow rose doubtfully.

“Maybe she’s not as trustworthy as you seem to think. Prison can change people, not always for the better. She’s been out of prison for what, _a day_ and she’s already visiting old haunts like that The White Tiger? And if she _is_ involved with these guys then we should use that to our advantage.” She stated, casually.

 _“Hey!_ This is my _sister_ we’re talking about,” Kara shot her a glare, “I trust Alex. Can you please let her at least explain herself first?”

Lena tightened her hands on the steering wheel and pulled her lip between her teeth as she realised her mistake, wishing she could take back what she’d said.

She sighed, “I’m sorry, Kara, that may have been inappropriate. I- I’ve never had any siblings or… any close friends for that matter. I guess I’ve just never had that trust… that kind of _bond_ with anyone.”

 _“Lena,”_ Kara looked saddened, she placed a warm hand on Lena’s arm. Lena’s eyes darted down to her hand quickly and then back to the road.

“I know what it’s like, your sole focus being on the job. When my sister went to jail, I poured all of my time into work. Finding the dealers, the suppliers… whatever I could do to make things better, trying to make them pay for what happened to my sister. But it started to change me, I grew apart from my family, my friends, and maybe some of that was guilt for what I did but what I figured out was that having someone close, someone by your side… Things are better. Helps you to see reason, keeps you grounded, keeps you human.”

Lena didn’t respond. She couldn’t. She didn’t know what to say.

“We’ll talk to Alex, find out what she knows but that’s it. And if she is involved then… I’ll stop her, I’ll save her this time.”

It wasn’t too much longer until they reached Midvale and Kara’s mood picked up, smiling as they passed through the town. She pointed out her old high school and a street corner where Alex had once pushed her over and she’d broken her elbow. And a café that apparently served the best pancakes in town. The tour came to an end once they reached Kara’s childhood home.

“This is it,” Kara gestured, “And that’s Alex’s bike so I’m guessing she’s here.”

The house was quaint and warm looking, grass freshly cut and pretty flower beds, an apple tree stood tall right next to the house with a little swing.

“What a lovely place to grow up, Kara. It’s so nice,” Lena said, climbing out the car.

Kara took her time getting out of the vehicle, as if seemingly trying to put off the inevitable. She looked nervous, nibbling on her lower lip. For someone so adamant that her sister was innocent in this, she appeared to be doubting herself now.

“Thanks,” Kara said absentmindedly, patting her pockets, badge and weapon habitually.

“Kara? _Is that you?”_ An older sweet looking woman was suddenly hovering on the doorstep.

Kara smiled and raised her hand in a small wave, closing the car door and skipping down the path toward the house.

“I _missed_ you,” She mumbled as Kara pulled her into a tight hug.

Lena followed behind, giving Kara a moment. She recognised this woman from the photo in Kara’s apartment, this was her adoptive mother.

As Kara pulled away, she turned back to find Lena.

“Lena, this is Eliza. Mom, this is Lena.”

 _“Oh my_. Kara never mentioned she was seeing anyone!” Eliza yelped with excitement.

Kara’s brow furrowed in utter confusion for a moment and then surprise.

 _“No, no,_ we’re not- she- she’s not- we’re-”

Lena smiled with amusement at Kara’s sudden awkward bumbling. She took a step forward and reached for Eliza’s hand.

“Kara and I are not seeing each other I’m afraid. I’m an agent with the FBI. Me and your daughter are working together on a case.”

Eliza clapped a hand over her mouth and flushed red with embarrassment. “I’m so sorry. How silly of me to have assumed.” She laughed then and placed a hand on Kara’s shoulder.

Kara smiled but Lena noticed the tip of her ear turning quite red.

“Yes, we’re just- I guess we’re partners.” Kara looked at her questionably, the corners of her lips turning upwards as she waited for what she assumed was going to be an amusing response from Agent Luthor.

Lena’s nose wrinkled dismissively at Kara’s statement.

“Colleagues.” She said simply.

Partners seemed too generous a word for their relationship.

“Well is everything alright? Not that it isn’t just fantastic to see you but why the spontaneous visit?” Eliza glanced between the two of them, Lena’s presence suggested it wasn’t random.

Kara turned back to Eliza, she’d still been staring at Lena as her mother talked.

“We’re here to see Alex. Is she home?”

“She’s just,” Eliza paused, “Everything’s okay, right? She hasn’t....?”

“No, mom. Well, I hope not.”

“We were hoping to just ask Ms Danvers a few questions,” Lena smiled cordially.

“She can’t have done anything wrong. She only just got out. We only just got her back.” Eliza frowned, shaking her head a little frantically.

“Mom, it’s not like that. I promise,” Kara said, placing a comforting hand on her mother’s shoulder.

Eliza nodded, sucking in a shaky deep breath.

“She’s inside. She just got back.”

They entered the home, Lena followed behind Kara who peered into the living room and then headed to what appeared to be the kitchen.

Kara paused, whispering. “Remember what I said. Let me talk to her.”

Lena gave a prompt nod.

 _“Alex!”_ Kara said, practically throwing herself into the kitchen.

Alex leapt in fright, thumping her head on the ridge at the top of the refrigerator where she’d evidently been rifling.

“ _What the fuck, Kara_. _Don’t do shit like that. You know I just got out of prison!”_ She waved a spoon covered in what appeared to be peanut butter around.

Kara giggled, walking around the kitchen isle and pulling her sister into a hug.

“How’s life on the outside, Sis?”

Alex shrugged, she didn’t look particularly thrilled, “I mean I can’t complain, can I? I’m trying to find a job so... it’s not so bad.”

Alex’s eyes then landed on Lena questionably, her eyes glancing down at her attire and then back up.

“Are you here for my Mom’s book club? I don’t think it starts for another hour.”

Kara snorted with laughter, leaning heavily on the kitchen counter, the hilarity of Alex’s question making her weak.

Lena frowned in Kara’s direction and stepped around her with a hand held out toward Alex.

“No, I’m a colleague of Kara’s. I’m Agent Luthor. I’m with the FBI.”

Alex shook her hand. “Oh okay, that makes more sense. I didn’t _think_ book club was such a fancy event.” She gestured to Lena’s attire.

Kara was still laughing.

 _“Ahem._ Detective Danvers,” Lena said loudly, “I believe we had a few _questions_ to ask your sister.”

Kara abruptly stood up straight, all sign of amusement disappearing from her face.

“What’s going on?” Alex asked, frowning at Kara suspiciously.

Kara rubbed at the back of her neck, obviously uncomfortable, “Erm, Alex... What were you doing at the White Tiger last night?”

Alex looked entirely taken aback and then she glared. “How did you know I was- Have you been _following me_ , Kara?”

 _“No! No! Alex no_. Me and Lena were investigating a potential lead there last night and… I saw you.”

Alex looked down at her feet, breathing a sigh.

“It’s not what you think, Kara, I swear,” Alex said, running a hand through her short hair. She sounded sincere.

Kara nodded slowly, staring at her sister.

“They sent someone for me last night, I had to go with them. They thought I would want back in. They wanted me to start working for them again but, well… I told them no. I told them I’m trying to just get a job and lay low. You know I don’t want that life anymore, Kara, you know that.”

Kara nodded. “Listen to me, Alex. I’m going to take these guys down. But you gotta give me something, any information you have. Names, locations, anything.”

“Kara...” Alex sighed. “This is dangerous.”

“Alex, you did time because you were afraid to talk last time. You get messed up in this again and it won’t end well. Now, we’re looking for Russian guy, his names Sokolovskii. You ever heard of him?”

Alex nodded, “Yeah he’s kinda… I think he’s in charge.”

Kara nodded, waiting for more.

“I really don’t know who Sokolovskii is or where he is. The highest up I ever dealt with was his number two. His name is Vadmir Chzov, he ran everything under him. Kara, he’s a dangerous guy. I really don’t think you should be going after this.”

“If you don’t know where Mr Sokolovskii is, is there anything you can tell us about his operation?” Lena asked, Kara glanced over at her momentarily.

Alex sighed, “I really don’t know much. I think... I think, well I heard there might be some kind of shipment soon.” She folded her arms and leaned on the counter.

“Shipment of what? Where?” Kara said, taking a step closer.

“I wasn’t really privy to that kind of information even when I was involved with them. But it sounds like it’s something big, Kara. Something real big.”

*

The 70th precinct was almost empty, just a few officers on duty scattered around. The office was dark but for the small lamp on the desk. Kara and Lena sat close together at a computer staring at Vadmir Chzov’s mugshot.

“So, this is the guy your sister knew? I don’t recognise him.”

“I do.” Kara whispered. She closed her eyes for a moment and then leaned back in her chair with a sigh. She ran a hand over her face, preparing herself to tell Lena the truth.

“There’s something I kind of _forgot_ to tell you about last night... At the club when we- when we spilt up to investigate, I kind of ran into this guy. He said a few things that pissed me off and well... I showed him my gun and I’m guessing he probably saw my badge too and I told him to back off.”

Lena was silent for a moment.

“It was your fault. You blew our cover. _That’s how they knew about us!”_ She looked insulted. “And you didn’t even tell me!”

“Lena, I’m sorry. I didn’t think- I never expected-”

“I knew it was a mistake working with you, Kara.” Lena shook her head crossly.

 _“Mistake?_ You wouldn’t be anywhere without me. If my sister didn’t tell us, we wouldn’t even know who this guy is!”

Lena sighed, pinching her nose.

There was a moment of silence.

“Kara, you have jeopardized this _whole_ investigation.”

“ _I don’t care!”_ Kara suddenly blurted out, “You know what, Lena, _I don’t care!_ But I _do_ care about my sister and I don’t think this is over for her. These guys are _not_ going to leave Alex alone, no matter what she says and if they find out she’s my sister then-” Kara paused and then shook her head, she didn’t finish what she was going to say.

“Kara… I do apologise. I may have overreacted very slightly. I do sympathise with your predicament.”

Kara frowned at her, sighing harshly.

“Are you _for real?_ We both know if it were up to you, Alex would be out there somewhere right now putting her _life_ at risk.”

Lena didn’t respond to that, she glanced down at her lap and quietly cleared her throat. 

“We’ll get them, Kara. We just need to find out what the shipment is and where this drop-off is taking place.”

“Yeah, you sound real sympathetic.” Kara said, shoving her chair back from the desk and standing up.

“Where are you going?”

“I need a drink.” Kara mumbled, heading for the exit without another look in Lena’s direction.

Watching her disappear, Lena heaved a sigh. Sitting still for a moment or two.

“One drink wouldn’t hurt, I suppose.”

She caught up to Kara on the street outside, slowing down to keep pace with her.

“What is it?” Kara asked, looking very done with this.

“I just thought I’d come along for one drink.”

“Oh... okay.” Kara said with a look of slight surprise, holding the door of O’Flanagan’s open for her to step inside.

Kara took her seat, the bartender offering her a wave as she came right over. “Whiskey please, actually leave the bottle too.”

“I see you’re not playing today, Detective.” Lena said, shocked by Kara’s order.

“One of them days,” Kara said, taking a large mouthful of the beverage as soon as it was placed in front of her and making a face of disgust.

“I’ll have the same.” Lena said to the bartender trying to hold back a smile.

Kara reached up and pulled her hair free from its bun, running her hands through it.

Lena stared at her for a moment, distracted by Kara’s movements and her flowing hair. Looking away when the bartender placed the half full bottle of whiskey in front of her.

There was an awkward moment of silence then where they both just drank.

Kara grabbed the bottle, already going for a refill.

“I guess you’re starting to see why I don’t have too many close friends.” Lena said, feeling suddenly vulnerable at her statement.

“Actually... I think I’m starting to see why you might need one.” Kara said quietly, meeting her gaze for the first time since she’d left the precinct. She held up her glass and Lena gave her a small smile as their glasses clinked together.

*

“Excuse me, bartender, can we please get another round of drinks?” Lena said with a grin, holding the empty bottle of whiskey upside down as if just checking one more time that it was definitely empty.

Kara giggled, resting her elbow on the bar and her head in her hand as she smiled at Lena.

“What?”

“This was the best idea I’ve ever had.” Kara laughed again.

Lena had lost her suit jacket somewhere, a few buttons on her glossy looking blouse had even been popped open at some point.

“What was I saying? Oh yeah. It’s just so hard, you know? I mean, I know we aren’t supposed to say it but being a woman in this field is _hard.”_ Lena slurred. “I feel like as a woman you have to maintain a wall. You understand what I’m saying? That’s… that’s the only way. You have to have this presence that’s cool, tough, and in charge-”

“In charge,” Kara snorted.

“What?”

“In charge of what?”

The bartender brought them more drinks.

“I-“ Lena huffed. “I’m leading on this case.”

 _“I’m_ leading on this case,” Kara smirked, sipping her drink.

“This is an _FBI_ Investigation, you are not an FBI agent.”

“This is _my town_ ,” Kara pointed at herself. “ _My_ criminals.”

Lena laughed, shaking her head, “Come on, let’s play some pool.”

She stumbled off her stool and Kara chuckled as she grabbed Lena around the waist to keep her upright.

“Forgot how high those things are…”

“It’s this way, Agent,” Kara urged them on.

Lena was a terrible pool player, absolutely the worst. But Kara assumed the alcohol was probably playing a large part.

“Have you played before?” Kara asked, watching Lena struggle to even line up the cue correctly.

“Of course I have.” Lena said proudly.

“Well, you’re doing it wrong. Here let me show you.”

Kara walked up behind her, leaning over her and grabbing Lena’s right hand, adjusting it on on the cue. “Your hand needs to be lower.”

Lena stilled, Kara pressed against her. She couldn’t breathe for a moment and when Kara spoke into the ear, she almost collapsed against the table.

“Now what you want to do I aim the cue right... _there_ ,” Kara said, pushing the cue forward with her hand on Lena’s.

Lena heard the clanging of balls but didn’t know if the they were successful in potting any. What she did know was that she’d had a enough of pool for one day and Kara was far too close.

She let go of the cue and deliberately knocked a ball into the closest pocket with her hand.

 _“Hey,_ you cheated,” Kara feigned shock.

“I did.”

They stared at each other, they were very close. Lena thought for a moment she’d seen Kara’s eyes flicker down to her lips.

Kara smiled, looking impressed, “I didn’t think you were capable.”

Lena frowned at that. “What does that mean?”

“You yelled at an elderly blind lady for jaywalking earlier. You have to follow all the rules, _all_ the time, Lena and you know it.”

“That’s not true. You don’t know me as well as you think.”

“Yes it is, Agent Luthor,” Kara smiled, leaning on the pool table.

The moment hung in the air, Lena felt as if Kara was almost challenging her to something, to prove herself but she didn’t know what. Lena didn’t know what to say either, Kara was right. Lena doesn’t break the rules, she follows protocol to the letter. It’s how she’s always been, it’s something built into her.

“Let’s just… get more drinks,” Lena said, heading back to the bar.

“No, _Titanic_ is the best movie ever made!” Lena yelled a while later from her seat at the bar.

“Clearly, you haven’t seen enough movies.” Kara slurred, almost knocking her glass off the bar as she gestured wildly.

“You know... this place... I really love this place. It’s great.” Lena mumbled drunkenly, glancing around.

The bar is dead. There are three people in the back playing what looks like poker. There is another man who might be asleep at another table. Other than that, the only life this place has is Lena and Kara at the bar.

Lena pulled at her hair, loosening it from its tight bun, letting it fall in waves around her shoulders. Her blouse sleeves had been rolled up and her shirt untucked but only on one side.

“Where you going?” Kara mumbled, trying to reach out for Lena as she walked away from the bar but not quite reaching her.

Lena didn’t respond. Kara watched her move across the room to the juke box in the corner.

Kara didn’t even know if the thing worked, she’d never seen anybody use it.

Lena seemed to study for the machine for a little while. And then her fingers hit messily at the buttons. She frowned at it until music started to play and then grinned.

The sound of Toto’s Africa filled the bar.

Kara snorted into her drink. Remembering how she’d been singing this loudly in her car as Lena approached the day before.

 _“Wooo!”_ She yelled enthusiastically, turning in her seat to see Lena swaying to the music.

She giggled, stumbling off of her stool, almost knocking into a large man who had just entered the bar. She mumbled an apology distractedly and meandered across the room to Agent Luthor.

_“It’s gonna take a lot to drag me away from youuuuu…”_

_“There’s nothing that a hundred men or more could ever doooooo…”_

She grabbed Lena’s hand and pulled her close, both dancing disastrously to the song as Kara sung and Lena laughed. She twirled Lena around and when she stumbled back into Kara’s arms, she was closer.

Kara smiled at her. Lena smiled back.

Lena had never done anything like this before. She’d never allowed herself to just throw caution to the wind, not care what anyone thought of her. Right now she didn’t feel like Agent Luthor, and what she did feel she almost didn’t recognise. As Kara stared at her with tender eyes, she felt happy and carefree for the first time in well, she couldn’t really remember.

When the song came to an end and they slowed to a stop, she whispered, “Kara…?”

“Hmm?” Kara continued to gaze at her, contented.

“Do you think I’m a good person?”

Kara’s brow crinkled.

“Do you like _me_ as a person… Am I likeable?”

Kara reached a hand up to brush Lena’s hair behind her ear, “Lena, if you’d have asked me that two days ago, I don’t know what I would have said but… I like you, I like you a lot actually, more than I probably should.” Kara smiled, “But then again… that could be the alcohol talking, I don’t know.”

Lena pulled away and Kara frowned, but Lena just held up her hand, walked back over to the juke box and selected another song. She then meandered back over to Kara to continue dancing.

And then another song... and another… and another until they suddenly find themselves slow dancing to _She’s like the wind._

Lena closed her eyes, resting her cheek on Kara’s shoulder, enjoying the feel of Kara pressed so close. She was warm and she smelled so pleasant and her grip on Lena’s waist was firm enough that she felt so safe right there in that moment. She hugged her arms tighter around Kara’s shoulders until they were essentially hugging with a slight sway to the music.

When the song ended, Lena lifted her head to smile at Kara. The room was quiet now, not that either of them really noticed, lost in their own little bubble.

Kara studied her with a warm look, and the moment between them seemed to drag on and on forever. And Lena found that she almost never wanted this moment to end, she didn’t want to go back to being the Lena she was outside of this bar, the Lena that always lived life by the book and never truly lived.

“So, I’ve had the _best time_ tonight,” Kara smiled. Lena knew for sure this time that Kara definitely did glance down at her lip as Lena habitually trapped it between her teeth.

“The best? _Really?”_ Lena felt exposed. She wanted to believe Kara, she did, but she couldn’t be right. No one had ever had _the best_ time with her.

 _“The best,_ Lena,” Kara’s hands tightened around her waist.

Lena swallowed, her throat felt thick, like she might cry any second. Kara’s brow crinkled with concern, she knocked her brow lightly against Lena’s. “Are you okay?”

Kara was looking at her with such care, such fondness. Lena lifted her chin just slightly and their noses brushed. She could feel Kara’s breath against her lips. She wanted to do it, throw caution to the wind, be _that_ person for once…

And then a brush of lips, not a kiss, nowhere near a kiss, definitely not enough to satisfy Lena’s curiosity so she leaned closer, making up her mind and pressing her lips firmly to Kara’s.

Kara’s hands moved from her waist to Lena’s face so quickly she thought for a moment she was going to push her face away in disgust but she didn’t.

Kara’s hands held her in a way that suggested she thought Lena might change her mind at any second and pull away. Though Lena was the one to initiate the kiss, Kara took charge. She kissed with passion, in an all-encompassing, greedy kind of way. Lena couldn’t even think, all she knew was that she never wanted it to end. They were both breathing harshly, Lena’s hands just gripped Kara’s shoulders and held on for dear life.

 _God,_ Kara kissed exactly how Lena would have imagined, not that she imagined it.

It was passionate and hot and quite possibly the best kiss of Lena’s life so far. She moaned with bliss, shuddering with excitement. She was kissing Kara, her mind began to catch up to what was actually happening. She was kissing Detective Danvers…

Lena was dizzy and hot and eventually had no choice to pull away and catch her breath.

Kara blinked, swiped her tongue over her lower lip and stared at Lena’s mouth for a moment before meeting her gaze.

They smiled at each other, both a little red faced. Kara swallowed and then leaned as if to kiss her again but movement over Kara’s shoulder caused a small crinkle to form in Lena’s brow.

Kara sucked in a small quick breath of distress, her expression turning to one of shame, coming to the wrong conclusion.

“Lena, I’m sorry, I thought-”

 _“Kara_ , _shh,”_ Lena whispered, squeezing Kara’s shoulders. They both tensed up. “Don’t look now, okay, but I think _Ivan Roschin_ is sitting over there in the corner and there’s someone else with him.”

“Are they-” Kara’s brow furrowed, she was still breathing heavily from the kiss. “What are they doing?”

They both are stood still, completely unmoving, arms still wound around each other tightly.

“They’re- I think they’re watching us…”

 _“But... How did they find us?”_ Kara mumbled, her hands tightening on Lena’s waist.

Kara twirled them around surprisingly elegantly for the state they were both in, keeping her face turned down toward Lena’s shoulder, silently eyeing the men from afar.

“They just got up... they’re... it looks like they’re leaving,” Kara whispered, her head slowly raising, “They’ve leaving out the back, _we_ have to go right now.”

She grabbed Lena’s hand and pulled her toward the door.

“My jacket.”

“ _Forget about it,_ I’ll get it later,” Kara hissed as they stepped out into the cool night air, she glanced around cautiously.

She seemed to be considering her options, the precinct wasn’t far and seemed to be safest place to go.

She kept hold of Lena’s hand as they started to walk, just a little too quickly to be natural.

 _“Kara, they’re behind us.”_ Lena whispered.

Kara sucked in a deep breath, _“This is what we’re going to do. We’ll take them by surprise, if we do that, we can take them, okay?”_

_“Are you serious? These men look like they mean business.”_

_“But their not bullet proof. You have a gun, Lena. Use it if you have to.”_

Kara stopped still, letting go of Lena’s hand and grabbing the lid off a nearby trash can, she hurled it behind her at a vicious pace, somehow with wild accurately as it smacked Ivan Roschin in the throat.

“Oh, it’s _youuu_ ,” Kara smiled, “The guy from the club. Vadmir isn’t it? Nice to see you again.”

Vadmir Chzov was pulling out a gun from his pants but Lena was already there, kicking the weapon out of his hand with perfect grace.

“Wow, _what was that?”_ Kara grinned at Lena, impressed, completely distracted by her as an unexpected fist hit her jaw.

 _“Owww,_ _I wasn’t ready,”_ Kara held her jaw, “You’re lucky you didn’t hit my glasses.”

Kara ducked another swing from Ivan and then somehow managed to tackle him to the ground as Lena punched Vadmir in the throat.

Vadmir spluttered for a moment and then turned, running away in the opposite direction. Lena frowned at him and then shrugged, wondering why he backed down so quickly, she’d barely touched him. She looked around. Ivan had wrangled Kara into a headlock.

“Do you need help?” Lena smiled.

“ _No!”_ Kara gasped, _“I’ll...be... fine.”_

Kara must have managed to land a blow to what might have been Ivan’s crotch because he let go of her with a howl and Kara scrambled away to her feet.

The street suddenly lit up with the lights of an SUV speeding down the street toward them. Next came the unmistakable sounds of bullets firing and Kara reacted instinctively, throwing herself on top of Lena, both of them going to the ground as bullets flew over their heads, tearing up the wall of the building behind them.

As soon as the SUV passed and silence fell, Ivan was up on his feet, running in the opposite direction.

“Are you okay?” Kara asked, face hidden in Lena’s shoulder, breathing heavily.

Lena gasped, sucking in some deep breathes, she nodded vigorously.

Kara lifted herself away only inches, glancing up and down the street, “Are you sure?”

“Yes, I’m fine,” Lena replied as Kara pulled her to her feet.

“Come on, we need to go after Ivan.”

“You’ll never catch him now.” Lena frowned, watching Ivan disappear around the corner.

Kara just smiled at that and took off running.

Lena followed but Kara was quick, very quick. Lena hadn’t even made it around the corner when she heard Kara yelling. And when she reached her, she was strapping cuffs to Ivan’s wrists.

“Wow, that was so _fast,”_ Lena blinked, impressed.

“Thanks,” Kara smiled, heaving Ivan to his feet. “This way, the precinct isn’t too far.”

*  
  


They were stood behind the two-way glass, watching Ivan Roschin sat alone staring down at the table in front of him in the interrogation room.

Kara crossed her arms, leaning on the wall in a pose that Lena internally chastised herself for finding so attractive. Lena leaned her elbows on the back of a chair, both of them seemed to be considering something.

“So, we’re going to do this _right now?_ Lena, it’s almost two in the morning and both of us have been drinking, _heavily.”_

“I’m not feeling remotely inebriated anymore, Detective. _You?_ ”

“Not really,” Kara sighed, running a hand over her face. She didn’t want to do this right now.

“We need to speak to him now, it could take a while to get the info we need out of him and the shipment could be tomorrow for all we know.”

“Fine, let’s just do it,” Kara moved as if to head for the door.

“ _Wait,”_ Lena grabbed her arm, “I’m going to need the room _alone_ , if you don’t mind. I’m going to use a technique that involves empathy, bonding, and repetition.”

Kara almost rolled her eyes, _“Time?_ Lena? How long will that take?”

“I don’t know. Maybe twelve hours. Hopefully less.”

 _“Twelve hours!”_ Kara’s eyes widened, staring at Agent Luthor as if she’d grown a second head. “Lena, we’re _The Heat_ , me and you. We’re meant to go in there, interrogate him, scare the crap out of him and get the information we need. We’re not here to make friends with the guy and it certainly shouldn’t take _twelve hours_.”

“We don’t say _interrogation_ , that’s too aggressive. I have to find out what drives him. I need to find that _spark, Detective._ It’s absolutely crucial that you are patient. If you enter the room you could break the bond we form and then we stand no chance.”

Kara sighed, removing her glasses and rubbing a hand over her eyes. She leaned heavily against the wall next to the door, “Ok.”

“Do you understand how important this is?” 

“Yes.” Kara replied irritably. 

“And you will be patient?” 

Kara sighed again but said nothing.

Agent Luthor stared at Kara for another moment, before nodding and leaving the room.

She entered the interrogation room five minutes later with two cups of coffee, kicking the door closed with her heel.

“Good morning, Mr Roschin. Would you call this morning?”

Ivan didn’t respond.

“Coffee?” She said as she took her seat opposite.

He looked at her but stayed completely silent.

“Well maybe I’ll have both then. I’ll probably need it. I probably drink more coffee than I should-”

 _“Where’s the shipment?_ ” Kara stormed into the room, the door hitting the wall. Her hands landing on her hips.

 _“Kara!_ You couldn’t even wait ten seconds?!”

“We needs answers, _fast_ , Lena and bonding and repetition isn’t gonna cut it-”

Ivan suddenly chuckled, they both paused to glare at him.

“What’s so funny?” Lena asked, raising a brow.

“I won’t tell you anything, doesn’t matter what you try. I won’t talk.”

“You’re talking right now. Good start,” Kara said, smiling though not in a way that suggested she found anything amusing.

“Then, tell me this.” Lena said, turning in her chair to face Ivan once more. “Who’d be upset if you talked?”

“Let me tell you a story. It’s about a man in Russia who talked. His name was Sergei. The police arrested him, he didn’t know what to do. So he talked. They didn’t kill him at first. No, you see, first, they murdered his mother. Then his uncle. Then his girlfriend. They left them each in their homes so when he went there for help he would find them. He had no one. They continued this way until Sergei would want to take his own life. But then right before he hung himself, they still got him and they butchered him.”

“Sounds made up,” Kara said, unimpressed.

Lena reached out blindly and backhanded Kara’s shoulder.

“Ow.”

“Well, of course we wouldn’t want that for you. But Mr Roschin, if you won’t talk to me, we can’t help you,” Lena said with a prompt nod.

Ivan sat up and began to lean in very slowly. Lena slightly leaned in, in turn.

 _“Fuck you.”_ He then tried to spit at Agent Luthor but she quickly moved.

Kara sucked in a breath, absolutely appalled. Her hands forming fists, she took a step toward Ivan.

Lena stood, placing a hand on Kara’s shoulder.

_“He just spat at you!”_

“He missed.” Lena shrugged.

Kara scowled at him, Lena squeezed her shoulder reassuringly.

“Let me talk to him, please,” Kara whispered.

“Okay, but don’t do anything reckless.”

Kara nodded and took a quick breath.

In the very next second, she was grabbing a hold of the front of Ivan’s shirt.

 _“What the hell are you doing?!”_ Lena yelled, grabbing Kara’s shoulders and trying to pull her away.

“You might want to look away, Agent Luthor.”

Ivan looked at the concerned look in Lena’s eyes as Kara pulled her fist back calculatedly.

 _“Okay! Okay!_ I don’t know when the shipment is yet! Only Vadmir knows, he hasn’t told us!” Ivan yelled.

Kara relaxed but didn’t let go of his shirt.

“Where can we find Vadmir?”

 _“He- he lives on East Houston, 313, erm… apartment 401!”_

Kara let go of his shirt with a smile, brushing it down and back into place.

“Thank you for your cooperation, Ivan,” she smiled, standing up fully.

“Fuck you.”

“For someone who wasn’t going to talk, you’ve done a lot of it.”

“It doesn’t matter what I told you. It’s won’t help you. Sokolovskii knows who you are. You’re already dead. Both of you.”

“I guess we’ll just have to see about that,” Kara smiled, turning and heading for the exit.

Outside the interrogation room, Lena grabbed Kara’s arm, “Kara, you could be _fired_ for what you just did in there.”

“Lena, I didn’t even touch the guy.”

 _“Yes you did, you manhandled him!_ If I spoke to the Captain-”

“Are you _going to?”_ Kara interrupted, her brow crinkling.

“Well… no.” Lena admitted.

“Did we get the information we needed?”

“Yes but-”

“Then you can thank me later,” Kara said with a smile and wink.

“Wait, aren’t you even _slightly_ suspicious that he told us all that so quickly? He literally said he wasn’t going to say anything and then told us exactly what we wanted to know. ”

“I know, it’s very suspicious,” Kara nodded, running a hand through her hair. “But like he said, he thinks we’re dead anyway.”

“What are we going to do?”

”We’ll go to Vadmir’s apartment tomorrow.”

”Even though this is super suspicious?”

”Are you going to let it stop you?” Kara asked before turning and heading off down the corridor.

“Where are you _going?”_ Lena called after her.

“Lena,” Kara turned around, running a hand through her hair. “It’s almost in three in the morning, I’m tired. I’m going home and I’m going to bed.”

 _“Wait…”_ Lena called.

Kara turned again, “What?”

“Are you sure that’s a good idea?”

“Yes, it’s the _best_ idea actually,” Kara nodded.

“No, I mean, they know who we are now, he just said that. And they’ll definitely know where _you_ live… is it safe to go back there?”

“Oh,” Kara frowned, coming to the same realisation as Lena. She rubbed a hand at the back of her neck.

“I mean Mr Roschin just said, Sokolovskii knows who we are now.” Lena added.

“Okay,” Kara shrugged, “I’ll sleep on one of the couches in the break room.”

“Wait, I think we should stick together. Don’t you?”

“Okay, there’s more than one couch in there…” Kara said, gesturing for Lena to follow her.

“I highly doubt they would have discovered my apartment, we can go there.” Lena concluded.

Kara turned to look at her. “Are you sure that’s okay?”

“Of course, I wouldn’t have suggested it if it wasn’t.”

*

They were both silent as they entered Lena’s apartment, they’d both been cautious getting out of the cab. Glancing up and down the street as if both expecting the SUV to come flying down the street once more, guns blazing. But it was quiet, no one around.

Lena kicked off her shoes and wandered into the kitchen, flicking on lights as she went. Kara didn’t seem to know what to do with herself, she followed Lena into the kitchen.

“Can I get you anything? Not that I have a lot here,” Lena asked quietly.

“Water, I guess,” Kara mumbled, leaning on the counter, plucking at a button on her shirt almost nervously, watching as Lena took her time pulling out two glasses and poured them water from the fridge.

Coming close, Lena placed a glass on the counter beside Kara, she took a sip from her own.

Kara glanced at her hesitantly. She was standing close, in Kara’s personal space and Kara’s mind drifted back to the bar… She distracted herself from staring at Lena by taking her time unfastening her gun belt and dropping it carefully on the counter.

“How is your face?” Lena asked.

“Hmm?” Kara blinked.

“Your face, you were struck by Mr Roschin. It looks a little…”

Lena brought her hand up to Kara’s cheek, her fingers lightly ghosting over the small bruise on Kara’s jaw.

“Oh _that_ …” Kara swallowed, closing her eyes for a moment, her nose flaring. In this moment, Lena was unfairly enticing. “I’d forgotten about that.”

“I can get you some ice for it if you’d like.”

“Um... no, this is... I- I’ve had much worse.” Kara’s stumbled on her words, her face started to feel warm. She readjusted her glasses.

“Like what?” Lena mumbled softly.

Kara cleared her throat, picked up her glass and took a sip of her water before placing it back down on the counter, as if trying to give herself a bit of time to compose herself.

“I erm…” Kara took a deep breath, struggling to concentrate on anything but how close Lena was standing and how much she wanted to kiss her again. “I got shot a couple years ago.”

Lena sucked in a little breath, her brow crinkling, “Where?”

Kara stared at her for a moment before bringing her hands to her waist, pulling her shirt from her pants and lifted it.

Lena held her breath as a portion of Kara’s toned stomach came into view. There was a round small scar to the right of her navel.

Lena couldn’t stop a shaky hand from coming up, her fingers lightly rubbing over it and Kara sucked in a shuddering breath.

“What happened?”

Kara let her shirt drop even though Lena’s fingers hadn’t yet left her skin.

“On duty. I jumped in front of another officer. I- I almost died.”

 _“Kara,”_ Lena swallowed, looking up into Kara’s eyes. Her hand still caressing her under her shirt, drifting a little further than the small scar.

Kara licked her lower lip and Lena thought of their kiss shared only hours ago in their drunken stupor. That felt like a long time ago, _too long_.

“That’s um…” Lena blinked, she could barely focus on anything but Kara’s warmth and her soft skin and when she glanced up with a look of desire, Kara’s lower lip was caught between her teeth.

“That’s um…” she tried again, taking another breath, “Brave, you’re incredibly brave.”

Kara reached up slowly, gently pushing Lena’s hair behind her ear.

“Hmm… sure,” Kara nodded. Lena didn’t know if Kara had heard a word she’d said.

God, they were so _close…_

“Brave and…” Lena swallowed, “Kinda hot.”

“You think so?” Kara whispered, tongue running over her bottom lip. Her gaze flickering from Lena’s eyes to her lips and back again.

“Hmm…” Lena nodded, aware of how loud their breathing was in her silent apartment. And her heart which felt like it was beating out of her chest.

Kara’s hands came up to cup Lena’s face, “I’m going to kiss you now,” She mumbled, her nose barely brushed against Lena’s.

_“Please.”_

She waited just a second longer as if giving Lena time to change her mind and then their lips met. Lena’s hands moved quickly, squeezing Kara’s shoulders but slid up into her hair. She moaned with what might have been relief, a moan she felt she’d been holding at bay for the last five minutes or so. Kara was the most enthusiastic kisser, she kissed with a passion that Lena had never experienced. She’d never felt so wrecked, so weak from one kiss alone.

Kara switched their positions, pushing Lena up against the counter, almost knocking over her glass of water, not that either of them noticed.

Lena pulled away with a shake of her head, impatiently mumbling, “Bedroom.”

Kara chased her lips and Lena gave in for a second or two before pulling away again. She grabbed Kara’s hand from her face and pulled for along down the hall to her bedroom.

Kara gave the bedroom barely a glance before pulling Lena close and kissing her again. After a moment, Kara took off her glasses with a grunt of frustration, dropping them on what she hoped was the bedside table.

Without the hindrance of her glasses, Kara was able to lay kisses down Lena’s throat, her teeth scraping against her skin as she hurriedly started to undo the buttons on her blouse. Kara groaned at the sight of Lena’s collarbones and the tops of her breasts, laying kisses on her collarbones.

Lena, who hadn’t been able to do anything but gasp and try not to fall down, pulled at the buttons on the front of Kara’s shirt in turn, managing to unfasten one or two.

Kara pushed the blouse down Lena’s arms, already trying to find the zipper for her skirt. Lena pulled away from the kiss to find the zipper at her waist and let the skirt drop to the floor.

Kara, who seemed to be in too much of a rush to unfasten the buttons on her own shirt just tugged the whole thing over her head, fighting with it at her wrists to get it off.

Lena grinned, pulling Kara down into another kiss. Her arms wrapped around Lena’s waist and she tugged them flush together, kissing with mad enthusiasm and eagerness, as she unclasped Lena’s bra and Lena pulled at the button on Kara’s jeans.

It was as if they both knew they probably shouldn’t be doing this. And if they allowed themselves one moment to think, to consider their actions then maybe it wouldn’t happen. So they didn’t, they'd hurried into the bedroom, rushed to remove their clothes before one of them came to their senses.

“Lena,” Kara moaned as her bra fell away, biting lightly on Lena’s lower lip. “You are the… you’re so beautiful and the… the hottest woman I’ve ever seen.” Kara gasped against her mouth.

Lena could feel the heat in her face at Kara’s statement, she briefly wondered whether Kara meant that or was too caught up in the heat of the moment.

Lena took a deliberate step or two backwards, and Kara wrapped an arm around her waist, helping her onto the bed but not willing to separate for even a second.

Kara grinned, settling between Lena’s legs and wasting no time, sucking kisses down her chest.

“So beautiful…” Kara mumbled.

Lena shuddered at her words and tugged Kara up into another fierce kiss as if trying to express her feelings without being able to formulate the words.

With some concentrated effort, Lena pushed Kara’s jeans down her thighs before she mumbled, “Off.” And Kara took over, fighting them off the rest of the way.

Kara wasn’t just an enthusiastic kisser, she paid exactly the same attention to Lena’s breasts as she did her lips, until she moaned Kara’s name and quietly shuddered with pleasure.

Lena had never had sex like this. Never. This was red-hot and intense. Lena had never felt so desired, so ravaged. This was already the best sex of her life and Kara had barely touched her yet.

Kara placed kisses down Lena’s stomach at an almost impatient pace, not that Lena minded, she groaned urging Kara on.

She paid special attention to her hip bones as she peeled Lena’s underwear away, down her restless legs.

Kara moaned then as she moved lower, moaned against her thighs, kissing and sucking fervently in random places.

 _“Kara…”_ Lena moaned.

Kara shuddered at that, groaning and gasping out, _“God, Lena…”_ as if it was almost all too much.

When Kara’s tongue finally touched her, Lena hissed out a _“Yesss…”_ Her heels digging into the bed as she tried to push her hips upwards toward Kara who threw an arm over her hip.

Kara _hmms_ against her clit as she lightly sucked on it, her tongue gently teasing.

Lena moaned Kara’s name again, a hand tangling in her hair.

“ _Lena_ ,” Kara moaned in return, a hand gripping firmly at her thigh.

Kara’s gaze flickered up to Lena’s face as she rubbed a finger over her clit and then slowly entered her. Lena’s teeth sunk into her lower lip and she gasped out a _Yesss_ , as Kara added a second.

Lena’s hips squirmed, her legs shook. Kara suddenly sucked hard at her clit again, her tongue working against her, and Lena shuddered, moaning unintelligibly.

“Lena, you’re so perfect...” Kara mumbled.

Lena shook with pleasure at that, “K- Kara close...”

She sucked harder at her clit, fingers pressing against her in a way that felt so right. Lena gasped, staving off her orgasm for a few quivering seconds, not wanting this to end.

But when it does, she can’t breathe for a moment, she very almost blacks out. Lena trembles with pleasure, a hand clenching in the sheets. She sucked in a gasping breath and moaned again.

“Oh my god, Kara.. I- wow…” 

Lena wasn’t usually so verbal during sex but she couldn’t help it, she couldn’t stop it.

Kara appeared before her eyes, hovering over her, leaning down to kiss her with a smile. Lena slipping her hands into Kara’s hair, kissing her breathlessly.

“You’re so beautiful, Lena… I can’t explain it. I’ve never had this. I’ve never wanted someone so much in my life.” Kara spoke against Lena’s lips and then lay hot kisses down her neck, like she wanted to be kissing and touching everywhere at once.

 _“Kara,”_ Lena giggled quietly, pushing against Kara with hands on her shoulders.

“Hmm?” Kara didn’t relent.

“Can I touch _you_ now?”

“I want to make sure it’s good for you,” Kara murmured barely an inch from her ear.

“It has been more than good for me… let me, please…”

Kara lifted her head, meeting Lena’s gaze. Her lip caught between her teeth as she slowly nodded and leaned down for another passionate kiss.

She pushed Kara over onto her back, Kara made a small noise of approval into the kiss as Lena settled on top of her.

As Lena’s hands explore Kara’s skin, she ground her hips down against Kara’s, making her groan, her hands landing on Lena’s hips in encouragement.

Lena’s hands slipped off Kara’s underwear as she brushed her nose down Kara’s throat and bit down where her neck met her shoulder.

Kara yelped quietly and Lena emits a breathy laugh. Kara squeaked again when Lena’s fingers find her clit. Lena lifts her head, wanting to see Kara’s face as she touched her.

After a moment, she moved lower, finding the soft patch of skin on Kara’s tummy where her scar was and kissing it.

“Do you have any other scars?” Lena mumbled against her skin. 

“Hmm…”

“Are you listening to me, Kara?” Lena smiled as she teasingly touched her.

 _“Lena…”_ Kara shuddered, her hand squeezing Lena’s arm. 

“Wait… did you just…?”

Kara sucked in a few deep breathes. She nodded, her face reddening.

“I barely touched you,” Lena blinked in surprise.

“I was … maybe a little worked up… with everything tonight and then you’re, well...” Kara panted, half shrugging and looking a little embarrassed. She pulled Lena down on top of her so she’d stop smiling at her.

“Well, was it even good for you?” Lena’s brow furrowed, her chin resting on Kara’s chest.

“Of course it was good,” Kara grinned, laughing quietly and running a hand through Lena’s hair.

“Do you wanna do that again?”

Kara pretended to think about that for a moment, “And again, and again, and again.”


	3. The Shipment

The first thing Lena became aware of as she started to wake was the heat of someone lying close to her and an arm thrown over her waist. She was so warm and cosy, so perfectly safe. Content enough to just stay there all day. She ran the tips of her fingers absentmindedly down the arm of her bed mate, the corners of her lips turning upwards in a small smile. Lena was just on the cusp of very nearly drifting back off to sleep.

And then she paused, thinking. Tensing up as her eyes blinked open. Kara Danvers was asleep beside her. She could feel the little puffs of Kara’s breath against her shoulder as she slept. She was so perfectly endearing. Kara seemed to be able to go from being a fearless badass one moment to a completely adorable puppy in the next and Lena was very much attracted to both. Lena studied her, Kara appeared smaller when she was asleep, though her exposed shoulder from the arm thrown over Lena’s waist and the top of her bare back looked so perfectly toned and Lena wanted to trace her fingers all over her. God, she wanted to kiss her, on the brow, the nose, the jaw, anywhere would do.

But she didn’t. Instead she sighed, she shouldn’t have let last night happen. It was thoughtless and unprofessional and definitely something Lena would never do. But at the time, it seemed so right, Lena couldn’t explain it. She didn’t know what it was about Kara but Lena felt different around her. She wasn’t just Lena, the FBI agent anymore, she was more than that. Lena was glad she wouldn’t be staying in National City for very long. She would need to get away from Kara Danvers before things got to be too much.

She squirmed as a sudden wave of nausea hit her, she winced. She knew this feeling, she was hungover though she was sure she was completely sober before she fell asleep. Her eyes flickered over to the clock at her bedside.

 _“Shit! Oh my god_. _Wake up!”_ Lena yelled, sitting up hurriedly, gathering the sheets around her as she scrambled to get out of bed, reality crashing down on top of them.

Kara yelped and flung herself away from the noise. She was so startled by the sudden wake up call that in turning over so quickly, she rolled straight out of the bed onto the floor.

 _“What in the world?”_ Kara’s head popped up, rubbing at the back of her head she must have bumped, blinking open her eyes, her hair in a perfect mess.

Lena glared at her, how could someone look so attractive, just woken up and having fallen out of bed? 

“It’s after 10. We have to get to Vadmir’s apartment. _We should already be there now!_ ” Lena said, wrapping the sheet tighter around her as she reached her closet.

“Lena, you scared the _crap_ out of me,” Kara grumbled, reaching a hand up to the table behind her searching blindly for her glasses as she sat on the floor.

“ _Get dressed!”_ Lena grabbed Kara’s jeans off the floor and threw them in her direction, whacking her in the face.

“But I like to cuddle in the morning...” Kara rested her chin on the bed with a smirk.

 _“This_ was a mistake, big mistake. It should _never_ have happened.” Lena said, pulling clothes out of her closet in a rush. “I got carried away with… well, with everything and almost dying and the excitement of it all. It got to me. I apologise.”

Lena didn’t dare turn around as she heard Detective Danvers getting dressed, but she thought she heard what might have been an irritated sigh. It was easier to have this conversation to her closet then it would be to Kara’s face anyway.

“It was all just a _big mistake_ , okay?”

Kara finished pulling on her shirt, “Um… I mean, yeah, I- I guess so.”

“It won’t happen again, it can’t. It’s probably for the best we just forget this ever happened.” Lena said, glancing in Kara’s direction for only a second as she shuffled off to the bathroom to get dressed and compose herself.

“Okay, whatever you say.” Kara mumbled, “Wait, can we swing by my place on the way? I need fresh clothes, I’m pretty sure this shirt is covered in whiskey.”

*

Neither of them had said a word for 45 minutes, they were sat in the car outside of Vadmir’s apartment building. Lena was still fighting off waves of nausea, picking at the lid of the now empty coffee they’d grabbed on the way. She didn’t know how long they would have to sit here, but not knowing made the whole thing worse and as the silence dragged on, all Lena could do was think. Think about the case, think about Kara, last night, about the way Kara would kiss her, the sounds she made, the things she whispered. There was a crunch and Lena’s empty coffee cup was crushed in her hand.

“Are you okay?” Kara asked, glancing down at the cup and then at Lena.

“Of course, why wouldn’t I be?” Lena responded kind of rudely.

Kara just raised a brow and looked away, unbothered by Lena’s attitude. Kara seemed at ease but she rubbed her thumb along the inside seam of her jeans at the knee continually and had readjusted her glasses six times in twenty minutes. She hadn’t even tried to turn on any music, she hadn’t done anything to annoy Lena at all which was telling, her mind was also elsewhere. The situation could only be described as a little awkward but as the silence dragged on and on, it was verging on very awkward.

Kara very quietly cleared her throat, peeking over at Agent Luthor for a second before quickly looking away. In turn, Lena glanced over at Detective Danvers before looking away. It seemed pretending it never happened didn’t stop either of them from thinking about it.

Kara had opted for a light blue shirt today, cuffed at the forearms. Lena couldn’t help but appreciate how the fabric clung to Kara’s shoulders and arms. Lena wore her usual, a dark blue skirt with a matching blazer. Kara had rolled her eyes but had given up trying to make Agent Luthor wear more comfortable clothes on the job.

Kara’s apartment had been clear, no sign of any intrusion. They’d walked in with guns raised, expecting to be ambushed at any moment but the building had been quiet and the apartment seemed untouched. They’d been quick, grabbing what Kara needed and leaving in a hurry but the ease at which they accomplished the task left Lena suspicious.

“We made a mistake.” Lena suddenly spoke up in the silence of the car.

Kara glanced across at her, “So you keep saying.”

“That’s not what I- I was talking about going to your apartment, I think it was a mistake.”

“Why? There was no one there.”

“Exactly… What if they followed us here? What if they’ve warned Vadmir?”

“Lena, we’d know if anyone followed us and I didn’t see anything suspicious inside or outside my apartment building.”

“This isn’t right. Is it? I mean, they find us in the bar, which clearly means they know _exactly_ who we are. Ivan tells us exactly what we wanna know, gives us Vadmir’s address. Tells us that we’re dead and that Sokolovskii knows who we are, but your apartment building, that Ivan obviously frequents _a lot_ to see his lady friend, Tatiana, is suspiciously quiet.” Lena thinks aloud.

“You think this whole thing is what, some kind of a setup?”

“I have no idea, but going back to your apartment would have been the perfect opportunity for them, it’s their territory. They could have planted someone in your apartment to kill you as soon as you opened the front door.”

“I don’t get it either but… maybe,” Kara sighed, “We know the shipments happening soon. Maybe they don’t care about us as much as we seem think they do. Maybe they thought trying to kill us last night would be enough to make us back off.”

“Well, I hope you’re right because this is the only plan we’ve got.” She gestured to the apartment building across the street.

Lena sucked in a breath, tensing up and Kara looked up, following her gaze.

Vadmir Chzov had exited his apartment building, he strolled toward a black SUV nearby, climbed in and quickly sped off. Lena wondered whether it was the same one that drove by and tried to murder them last night.

“He didn’t look suspicious at all. That’s a good sign. He didn’t even glance around when he came out of the building. He’s clearly not worried about us catching up to him.” Kara muttered.

“Let’s go inside, have a look around.” Lena said, getting out and grabbing a small case from the back seat.

“What is that?” Kara asked as Lena joined her on the sidewalk.

“Something we’ll need.”

They head inside the apartment building and to Vadmir’s floor, once they got to his door, Kara tried the handle.

Lena opened the case, pulling out a small device which she attached to the door handle. Kara looked on confused.

“It’s a decoding device, should get the door open but it may take some time.”

Kara raised a brow, lifted the rug at their feet with the toe of her shoe and then ran her hand along the top of the door as Lena stared at the device on the door handle.

“Bingo,” Kara smiled, holding a dusty key in her hand. “That thing is cool and all but this will probably be much faster.”

Lena rolled her eyes but grabbed the key.

She silently opened the front door, neither of them moving to step inside just yet. Kara drew her gun immediately, the apartment was completely still.

“Hello? This is NCPD,” Kara called out, desperately hoping for no response.

Nothing came.

They both stepped over the threshold… waiting for something, anything…

“Nothing,” Kara mumbled, sliding her gun back into its holster.

“What exactly were you expecting?” Lena asked, grabbing her case.

“I dunno,” Kara shrugged. “Something at least.”

“Okay,” Lena turned to face her, getting down to business. “Don’t touch a thing, I mean it, _not a thing_. We have to leave this apartment _exactly_ as we left it and we can’t leave any evidence of us being here, okay?”

“Sure,” Kara nodded, leaning on the door frame.

“I’m going to set up a bug and then we’ll leave as quickly as we can. _You stay there.”_ Lena pointed at her like she was a misbehaving dog.

“Okay,” Kara smiled, giving a two fingered salute and then stretched her arms in the air casually, letting out a moan like sound as she did so and relaxing back against the frame.

Lena looked away, shaking her head. She had a job to do.

Lena opened her case again, pulling out a small camera. She began to take photos around the apartment. Kara crossed her arms, unmoving.

After a few minutes, Lena pulled the TV stand from the wall. She then pulled out an extremely small drill. Kara watched as she drilled a tiny hole into the back of the stand, going back to her case, she then placed a miniature bug into the hole. Happy with her work, she pushed the stand back against the wall.

“You all done?” Kara asked.

Lena nodded, “Just one more thing.”

Kara tried not to laugh as Agent Luthor backed up slowly to the door using some kind of small rake to remove any of her footprints from the carpet. Kara shook her head, little rake marks in the carpet would certainly make her more suspicious than any footprints but she didn’t voice her concerns.

“Ready?” Kara grinned.

“Yes, let’s get back to the car. Make sure this thing works.” Lena pushed Kara out the door.

Back in the car, Lena turned some dials on a small device she’d placed on the dash, “Okay, it appears to be working. Now we just have to wait for Vadmir to come back and then we’ll hear everything that happens inside that apartment.”

Kara doesn’t respond, Lena glanced across at her.

Kara was eating a banana.

“Where did you get that?”

Kara paused in her chewing, swallowed hard and met her gaze.

“Oh… your place.”

“I don’t _have_ any bananas at my place.” Lena frowned.

“My place then.”

Lena whacked Kara on the shoulder, “Did you take that from inside?! _Oh my god_ , Kara! Well, that’s just _great_. I told you _not_ to move! I told you not to _touch anything!”_

“First, _ow_.” Kara rubbed her shoulder, “And second, it’s fine. Lena, calm down. It’s not like he’s ever going to notice _one_ banana missing. Besides we missed breakfast and lunch and I…”

“Wait, _shut up.”_ Lena said, placing her hand over Kara’s mouth.

The SUV pulled up, Vadmir hopped out with a bag, looked like he’d just been to the store. He disappeared into the building.

“And now we wait,” Lena said quietly.

“Like we haven’t been doing that already,” Kara pushed Lena’s arm away, taking another bite of her banana.

“Look, you go and grab us both something to eat and more coffee too.” Lena said, going back to her device on the dash.

Kara huffed like she wasn’t exactly happy being told what to do but hopped out of the car anyway.

*

Kara chewed slowly on a red vine, staring out of the car window. Lena had snapped at her for trying to put her feet on the dash, for opening the window, for whistling, for wiggling around in her seat too much, for tapping her fingers and now Lena wouldn’t let her get out of the car to stretch her legs, because she was worried Kara would get spotted. The day dragged slowly on into evening. Vadmir hadn’t left his apartment again, all was quiet, no visitors, no phone calls… _nothing at all._

The bug worked great, not that Kara could understand a word of what was being said.

The tv was on, it sounded like a Russian sitcom with a loud laugh track. They occasionally heard Vadmir laughing along heartily. Lena had become engrossed in the plot at some point also, finding it humorous and occasionally chuckling.

Kara sighed, her head falling back against the seat, her eyes falling shut.

“Don’t even think about going to sleep.” Lena glanced over at her pointedly.

Kara’s brow crinkled and she groaned in frustration, reaching her breaking point, “Do you have any _other_ issues you’d like to raise? Am I breathing too loudly perhaps?”

They stared at each other, the tension in the car was mounting.

“Fine. Actually why don’t you go to sleep, you’ll probably be less distracting,” Lena glared.

 _“Lena,_ I have sat next to you in his car _all day_ and all you have done is _snap_ at me.” Kara said crossly, “I’m going to assume your irritability is because we’re getting nowhere with this stake out, so I’m going to try really hard not to take any offense.”

Kara crossed her arms and looked out of her window.

Lena released a breath, her expression turning downcast as she looked at Kara, “Detec- _Kara,_ I’m sorry. I- It’s not you, although you must admit the whistling was very irritating, but it’s not you and it’s not the stake out either… I’m annoyed at myself.”

Kara’s brow furrowed questionably. “Why?”

“I’m... I guess I’m realizing that… I’m not the Agent I thought I was. I honestly thought I’d have this case closed in a day or two. That working alone was the best way. I don’t usually make mistakes or wrong decisions. Everything I do is calculated and for a reason. I’d never even consider drinking on assignment, never mind sleeping with a colleague. It’s just not me. I’m not fun or interesting-”

“Shut up, please,” Kara reached across and took Lena’s hand, winding their fingers together.

Lena sucked in a little gasp. Why would Kara even want to touch her after the way she’d treated her all day?

“Lena, you aren’t just an _agent_ , you are a _person._ And people make mistakes every day, people make wrong decisions all the time. You say you don’t do any of those things but I’ve seen you do them all and I like you all the more because of it. You are fun and interesting. _You_ are the most interesting person I think I’ve ever met actually. You are not just Agent Luthor, you are Lena Luthor and you are so much more than you think.”

Lena stared at her for a moment.

“God, I hate you,” Lena shook her head, “Kara, what the hell are you doing to me. I can’t- this isn’t…” she squeezed Kara’s hand in hers, fighting to hold back tears.

Kara gave her a confused smile. “I hope you don’t hate me.”

“Of course I don’t hate you,” Lena chuckled, she let her head fall and her brow rest on the edge of Kara’s shoulder. “I’m sorry.”

“So, are you going to stop glaring at me now?” Kara whispered with a smile, running her thumb along the back of Lena’s thumb.

“You haven’t done anything wrong, Kara… I mean, you _are_ distracting but not in a bad way.”

“What does that mean?”

Lena sat up, shaking her head, composing herself, “Nothing...”

They fell into a comfortable silence, Lena listening to the sound of Vadmir’s TV while Kara happily held her hand.

“This isn’t working is it?” Lena asked after a few minutes.

“We aren’t getting anywhere with this,” Kara agreed, “We could be missing the shipment right know for all we know..”

“I doubt that but … okay, let’s try and get him talking.”

“How?”

Lena breathed a sigh and seemed to think for a moment. “We’ll use Rojas.”

“No, I don’t trust Rojas, not one bit.” Kara shook her head.

Lena pulled her hand from Kara’s and started the car, “He won’t really have much of a choice but to comply with us, Detective.”

“This is a bad idea,” Kara mumbled as Lena pulled away and headed toward the precinct.

*

“No, they’ll kill me. You don’t get it, do you? I don’t wanna die,” Rojas crossed his arms, sliding down in his seat.

Kara and Lena sat opposite in the small interrogation room. They looked at each other and then back at Rojas.

“Mr Rojas, if you help us. We will catch these men, so there won’t _be_ anyone to kill you. We’ll stop them.” Lena pressed with a prompt nod and smile.

Rojas shook his head, refusing to meet their gaze.

“Why are you acting like you have a choice in this? Here’s what you’re going to do,” Kara said, glaring at Rojas, “You’re going to call your friend Tatiana right now and tell her that you need more coke or whatever you’re selling these days, okay?”

“What do you say when you want more? Is there a code?” Lena pressed.

Rojas ran a hand through his hair, “Yeah, I’m supposed to ask if she’s got any friends coming to town.”

“Great,” Kara nodded, dropping Rojas cell phone on the table. “Make the call.”

Rojas sighed, glared at Kara for a moment before he picked up the phone, pressed a few buttons and then placed it on speaker. It rung four times before the call was picked up.

_“Hello?”_

“Sup girl, your friends coming to town soon?”

_“Let me call them and find out.”_

“Cool, let me know.”

The line went dead.

“Is that it?” Kara asked, looking at Lena and then to Rojas suspiciously.

 _“Yep_. Glad I could help.” Rojas said, standing up. “I gotta run though.”

“Oh, _ok!_ Have fun tipping them off! _Sit back down!”_ Kara stood from her seat, leaning over the table.

Rojas immediately took his seat. Lena glanced across at Detective Danvers and swallowed, that was kinda unexpectedly hot.

*

By the time they got back to the car, Vadmir’s apartment was quiet. Kara glanced across at Lena with her brow furrowed.

“Do you think he left?”

Lena shrugged, “If he left, we’ll miss the exchange, then we’ll never find out where the shipment is taking place.”

Kara sighed, rubbing at her eyes. “Then all we can do is wait.”

A few minutes passed, Kara was just wondering whether it would be appropriate to reach across and take Lena’s hand again when it sounded like there was a knock at Vadmir’s door.

This was followed by footsteps and sounds of the door opening.

_“Tatiana called. She wants to know when more’s coming in.”_

_“Yeah tomorrow. It’s the big one.”_

_“Where?”_

_“NC airport 2:15. East terminal.”_

“No way,” Kara mumbled, her nose crinkling in disbelieve.

Lena grinned, writing everything down. “Tomorrow. The shipment is tomorrow.”

“I can’t believe that actually worked,” Kara shook her head.

“Of course it did. I’m the best,” Lena chuckled, pulling out her phone.

“You got lucky, Luthor.”

“Did not.”

“You wanna get food? I’m kinda hungry.” Kara asked and immediately looked like she regretted asking, “I mean, you don’t have to. I just…”

“Sure.” Lena smiled, “We’ve got to stick together anyway, right?”

“Do you like potstickers?”

*

“Seven hours? That was your longest stake out? That’s nothing, try seventeen hours,” Kara took a sip of her water and sat back in her chair looking full and satisfied.

“Seventeen hours? Kara, I don’t think that’s legal. I know at the Bureau you are to be relieved after twelve hours on a stake out.” Lena placed down her spoon, looking questionably across the table.

They were in a small Chinese restaurant that Kara claimed was the best in National City. It was clear Kara had been there a lot as she seemed to know everyone by name and they seemed to know her usual order.

“This isn’t the Bureau, Lena. And it worked out cause I caught the guy too.” Kara smiled, raising her brows.

“Kara, I’ve never seen anyone consume so much Chinese food in my life.” Lena chuckled, glancing down at several empty plates between them. 

Kara wiped her face with a napkin. “Potstickers are my favourite food. Plus, all I’d eaten today was a banana and a lousy sandwich. I was hungry.”

“So you said.”

“You know what, I’ll get this. I’ll let you get it next time, okay?” Kara said, rising from her chair with an appealing kind of self-confidence that Lena didn’t want to find so attractive. 

“Next time?” Lena raised a brow.

“Well, now there’s gotta be a next time, right?” Kara grinned and half shrugged, walking away to chat with the owners.

They left the restaurant and Kara placed a hand on Lena’s shoulder, giving it a squeeze as they headed toward the car.

“Look Kara, you still can’t go home tonight, it’s not safe.”

Kara tutted, “Not this again. Lena, it’ll be-”

“No, you can’t go back to that apartment building. It’s not safe there, they know who you are and where you live.” They climbed into Lena’s car.

“It was fine this morning,” Kara reasoned.

“How do you know for sure? You got what you needed, you don’t have to go back there again,” Lena said, starting the car.

“ _Fine._ Just drop me at the nearest motel.” Kara said irritably, fastening her seat belt. 

“We have to stick together.” Lena glanced across at her.

“Oooh, I see…” Kara suddenly smirked.

“What?”

 _“You_ said it was mistake, Lena. _You_ said forget it ever happened,” Kara looked at her amused.

“What? No, that’s not - That’s not why I- Last night, we’d both been drinking heavily, Detective-”

“We were not drunk.” Kara interrupted.

“That’s not why. We just need to stick together, okay? It’s safer that way.” Lena maintained, her cheeks reddening.

Kara nodded, “Good. I’m not going to sleep with you again anyway.”

“No, I’m not going to sleep with _you_ again.” Lena responded, rising to Kara’s teasing.

“I just said that, I’m not sleeping with you again.” Kara looked away, out of the passenger side window, trying to hide her amusement.

“No, I already said before you said any- Hang on, _why? Why_ wouldn’t you sleep with me again?” Lena frowned, glancing across the car as she drove.

“Because you said it was a mistake.” Kara shrugged.

“So, because I said it was mistake, you won’t sleep with me again?”

“Right,” Kara nodded.

“So, it wasn’t the sex itself?” Lena queried, constantly looking across to try and gage Kara’s expression.

“No, Lena, _no_. The sex…” Kara readjusted her glasses, “The sex was great. Really great.”

“So, you would sleep with me again?”

“No, you said you didn’t want to,” Kara smiled.

“No, I said it was a mistake,” Lena corrected.

“Exactly.”

“But not that I didn’t _want_ to. What if I wanted to?” Lena asked.

“ _What?”_ Kara frowned, letting her head drop against the seat, “Lena, help me out here, I’m just trying to figure you out. Is that what you want?”

“No, it was a mistake,” Lena responded with a smirk. Kara glared across at her.

“You know what, take me home. I think I’d rather die in that apartment than put up with you any longer.”

“You’re not going back there, Kara.”

*

“Home sweet home,” Kara muttered unenthusiastically as she stepped into Lena’s apartment.

Lena rolled her eyes, pushing Kara further into the room as she passed. “I’m going to make tea. Do you want some?”

“Yeah, sure…” Kara said as she toed off her boots.

Kara had flashes of the previous night in Lena’s kitchen. Lena leaning close, the counter against her back. She shook her head, deciding that was probably a bad idea. Kara instead headed into the living room, she took off her gun belt and fell onto the couch.

She frowned, it was hard, it felt like no one had sat on it before ever.

“What’s with this couch?” Kara said, trying to find a comfortable position.

“What’s wrong with it?” Lena yelled back from the kitchen.

“It’s not very comfortable.”

“All the furniture was already here when I moved in, courtesy of the Bureau.” Lena said, her voice getting closer.

“So they were expecting you to be in National City for a long time?”

“Potentially,” Lena said, handing Kara a cup.

Kara looked up and met her gaze, “Do you think… you could be?”

“Well,” Lena took a seat on the other side of the couch, “I’m hoping to get promoted to Assistant Director once this case closes and if tomorrow goes to plan then I don’t know, I probably won’t have to stick around National City for too much longer.”

Kara nodded, sipped her tea and muttered, “Hmm, yeah.”

“Why? Would you miss me, Detective?” Lena smiled and poked Kara in the thigh.

Kara smiled, “More like… Can’t wait to get you off my back.”

 _“Hey,_ we make a good team.” Lena said thoughtfully. “I wouldn’t have said that when we first met but we do… We’re a good team.”

Kara nodded slowly, taking another sip of her tea. “That’s true, you wouldn’t have gotten anywhere without me.”

“Erm… I don’t know about that.” Lena’s brow furrowed.

“Well, you’d be dead.” Kara mused.

“I don’t think so,” Lena placed her cup down.

“You think you would have gotten out of the White Tiger on your own?”

“I’d have figured something out,” Lena shrugged.

“What about last night? The drive by. If I hadn’t jumped on you, you’d be lying in a morgue somewhere riddled with bullet holes,” Kara met her gaze.

“That’s not true.”

“Yes it is and if I hadn’t gotten the information out of Ivan, you’d still down at precinct now trying to pump him for information.” Kara grinned.

Lena cringed, “Shut up.”

“Hit a nerve? You know I’m right.”

“I said, shut up, Kara.”

“Make me.” Kara smirked.

“ _Oooh_ … I see,” Lena returned Kara’s smirk.

“What?”

“ _You._ You’re trying to make _me_ want to have sex with you again,” Lena crossed her arms.

“No I wasn’t. And what was that you were literally just saying? _Oh, Kara, we make such a good team…_ What was that? You were definitely trying something there.”

 _“I was not!_ I was making a valid point about our partnership, _nothing more._ Like I said before, yes, we had sex. One time. It was a mistake, we both got carried away.”

“You don’t have to explain it to me again, Lena. Like I’ve already said, I’m not looking to have sex with you again.”

“You really aren’t?” Lena frowned.

“Nope,” Kara shook her head.

Lena’s brow crinkled, “But, you do _want_ to though, right?”

“Of course not,” Kara sipped her tea.

“But… But, you said it was good.”

“The best,” Kara nodded.

“Good. I thought so too.”

“Great,” Kara sipped her tea again. “This tea is… _also_ great.”

“So, if I asked you too. Say right now… would you want to?”

 _“Lena,”_ Kara groaned, putting her tea down, “You know what, I’m tired and I’m going to sleep. I’ll stay right here on this couch.”

“No, you just said it was uncomfortable.” Lena frowned.

“I’ll get used to it.”

“We can share, I insist.” Lena said with a prompt nod. She got up, grabbed their cups and disappeared into the kitchen. Kara didn’t know what she was doing in there but it sounded like she spent more time in there than necessary.

She walked back into the living room, removing her jacket and draping it over her arm. Kara stood, her hands slipping into the back pockets of her jeans. They stared at each other.

“I was thinking…” Lena paused and sucked in a breath.

Kara took a few steps closer, intrigued.

“Good night kiss?”

Kara smiled, placing her hands on Lena’s waist, pulling her closer. “Best idea I’ve heard all night.”

Lena rose up on her toes, capturing Kara’s lips.

Kara’s hands came up to Lena’s face, deepening the kiss with a groan, “God, you’re so hot.”

Lena pulled away with a gasping breath, “Bedroom?”

*

A content smile played at the corners of Kara’s mouth as she awoke slowly, pulling Lena closer to her front. She breathed deeply, placing a sleepy kiss on Lena’s shoulder.

“Isn’t this a much nicer way to wake up?” Kara whispered.

“Kara…?” Lena mumbled.

 _“Hmmm_ … wait, let me guess… this was a mistake?” Kara whispered, smirking as she placed another kiss on Lena’s shoulder and another.

“No, well yes, I mean it probably was but that’s not what I going to say,” Lena mumbled as she turned to lay on her back.

Kara wrapped her arm tighter around her waist, moving closer, whispering close to Lena’s ear, “If it was about breakfast then… it could be love.”

“I was going to say… we need to get up. I need to shower and if you want to shower _and_ apparently have breakfast too, we still need to head over to the field office to brief the director there and get a team together before staking out the airport.”

“So technically…” Kara lay a kiss on Lena’s jaw, “…It was about breakfast.”

Lena huffed out an aggravated breath. “Kara, there are more important things to worry about than breakfast.”

“I know, like saving time and showering together?”

“And how much time do you think that would save, Detective Danvers?” Lena asked meeting her gaze.

“Hmm…” Kara smirked, biting her lip.

“I think I’ll be showering alone.”

Kara shifted onto her back with a groan placing a hand over her heart like she’d been shot. “You wound me…”

*

They were sitting in the car, just off the tarmac at the airport, a van of agents sat just behind them also waiting for the plane to land. This was it. The plane would land. The FBI would seize the shipment. Sokolovskii would come out of hiding. They’d arrest him and Lena would close the case, earning herself a promotion.

Lena pulled out her binoculars, watching planes in the distance land. She glanced across at Kara, she was eating a banana.

“Where are you getting these from?” Lena exclaimed, wrinkling her nose.

Kara smirked but said nothing.

“Stop smiling at me like that, Detective.”

“What?” Kara chuckled.

“Just stop. Your smile is… annoying,” Lena huffed.

“So you keep saying.”

Lena sighed, shaking her head.

“What else do you find annoying about me, Agent Luthor?” Kara asked with intrigue.

“Kara…” Lena tutted, glancing through her binoculars once more.

“Go on…” she urged, grinning.

“…Your eyes,” Lena mumbled. “They are… too blue.”

“Oh, okay,” Kara laughed quietly.

“And your arms... They look, erm… they look awful in those shirts,” Lena bit at her lip, blushing.

Kara had opted for a pastel green shirt today, she glanced down at her shirt and chuckled.

“Well, _I also_ think your smile is annoying too and your eyes, I can hardly stand to look at them.” Kara stared at her.

Lena met her gaze, they seemed to share some unspoken communication, “Thank you.” Lena huffed a laugh. 

They were both quiet for a moment, Lena interested in her binoculars again.

“Look so, I was thinking…” Kara said, rubbing at her leg a little anxiously, “You like me, at least I think you do, and I like you-”

“What?” Lena looked tensely in Kara’s direction.

“Lena, I know you’re not planning on staying in National City but I really-”

Lena abruptly grabbed her radio off the dash, “Brief the team, the planes coming in. Over.”

She brought her binoculars to her eyes, Kara sat up in her seat. They both watched as a plane landed in the distance.

“ _Here it is. That’s the one_ ,” Lena muttered excitedly.

They watched the plane approach the airport and then slow to a stop.

“You see anything?” Kara muttered, leaning forward in her seat, her hand on the door handle as if ready to hop out at any moment. 

“Not yet.” Lena shook her head.

“Anything?” Kara mumbled after a few minutes, “There’s still no sign of anything suspicious?”

“Nope… nothing,” Lena frowned.

The handler finished packing up the cart of luggage.

“Maybe they know we’re here… maybe this is all _crap_ … I told you not to trust Rojas,” Kara sighed, running a hand over her face.

Lena shook her head, “No, this is it, I know it is,” she hopped out of the car, gesturing for the team of agents from the van to follow behind her.

They approached the cart of luggage, Lena snapping on gloves as she went. The team began to search…

It becomes evident after a few minutes, there is nothing out of the ordinary there.

“Nothing. Same for the others,” Lena mumbled after some time.

“It’s all clean, there’s nothing here.” An agent called out.

Lena turned away from the team, covered her face in disbelief, “I was sure, I was _so certain_ this was it.”

“It was a set up this whole time. It was a set up and we’ve probably missed the real shipment,” Kara shook her head, leaning on the cart. “You should have listened to me when I said don’t trust Rojas.”

Lena glared at her, she turned, dismissing the agents and heading back to the car.

“Lena…” Kara jogged after her. “ _Lena, wait…”_

“You agreed with the plan, _Kara!”_ Lena yelled as she climbed into the car.

“I’m just saying, you should have listened to me when I told you I didn’t trust him, not one bit.” Kara said, getting in beside her.

“You know what, Kara, this isn’t _my_ fault! Don’t treat me like it is.” Lena drove a little too aggressively, Kara gripped at her door.

“I knew from the start that this was a bad idea. I should never have agreed to work with you. This is exactly _why_ I work better on my own.” Lena gripped the steering wheel severely.

“That’s crap and you know it!” Kara yelled back.

“No, Kara! You have been nothing but a _distraction_ to me this whole time! Do you have _any idea_ how much this will affect my reputation at the Bureau?! ”

“I couldn’t care less about your reputation at the Bureau! I care about getting these guys behind bars and drugs off the streets! I care about my sister. I care about making National City a safer place!”

“Well… you haven’t exactly done a stellar job of that so far.” Lena muttered, her expression one of complete bitterness.

Kara blinked as she processed Lena’s words. “Pull over,” she muttered quietly.

“What?” Lena mumbled heatedly.

“Pull over. I’m getting out,” Kara said, she sounded almost too calm.

“Kara-”

She opened the car door as it was still moving.

 _“Kara! Oh my god!”_ Lena hit the brake, quickly pulling the car over.

Kara climbed out, turning as she did so, “Whatever this is, whatever this _was,_ it’s over. You know, I don’t even know why I…” she shook her head and rose to full height, “Go back to Metropolis,” she said before slamming the car door.

*

Lena didn’t sleep that night, she was absolutely dreading facing the agents at the field office the next day. They had most definitely missed the shipment and she would surely be ridiculed for her mistake. She could kiss her promotion goodbye for sure.

But what troubled her most was Kara. She couldn’t stop thinking about her. It didn’t help that she’d spent the last two nights at Lena’s apartment and almost everything reminded her of the detective. In fact, almost every part of National City reminded her of Kara in some way.

She missed Kara in her car trying to turn on the radio every two minutes. She missed Kara in her apartment, nosing through her unpacked boxes. She missed Kara pulling her close in bed, being all cute and cuddly. 

She shouldn’t have yelled at her, she shouldn’t have said what she said. Lena wished desperately that she could take it back. She wondered what Kara would do, where she would go. Would she have gone to the bar? Would she have gone home? Would it be safe for her there?

It shouldn’t matter to Lena… it didn’t matter to her.

It didn’t…

The next day, Lena held her head high as she walked into the field office, prepared for whatever was to come next. It didn’t matter that they’d missed the shipment she decided, she could still catch Sokolovskii. She’d solve the case and everything would work out.

She just had to think positive and she did… this was until Assistant Director J’onzz came around the corner in front of her.

“Assistant Director,” Lena blinked in surprise, “What are you doing here in National City?”

He gave her a regretful look, “I’m afraid I’m here to clean up your mess, Agent.”

“I-” Lena released a breath, “I’m sorry, I made a-”

“No, no, it’s _my_ fault. I realize now I wasn’t clear about the assignment, Agent Luthor. What I said was, find Sokolovskii and don’t embarrass the Bureau. What you obviously heard was _lose_ Sokolovskii and _embarrass the_ _Bureau_.” J’onzz tried to step around her to walk on.

“We can still catch Sokolovskii,” Lena said, desperately. “I can.”

He turned to face her, “How, Agent? The shipment is gone, Sokolovskii has no reason to stick around. Do you have _any_ idea of his whereabouts?”

“Well, no. Not yet but-”

“Tyrell Rojas, your supposed _informant_ was released last night. He’s turned his phone off. He’s off the grid.” J’onzz folded his arms.

“I just need time, Assistant Director. I can do this.”

“You’ve had time, Agent Luthor. I’m sorry to have to tell you this but you’re off the case.” He gave her a prompt nod and walked on.

_“Sir… ”_

“I expect a field report on my desk in three days.”

Lena sighed as she watched Assistant Director J’onzz walk away.

It was official, she was off the case. Nothing like this had ever happened to her before. She’d never felt so shamed. She leant against the wall and dropped her head into her hands, massaging her temples.

“Hi, Agent Luthor. Are you okay?”

Lena glanced up, Agent Winn was staring at her with an odd expression, like he was afraid Lena might yell at him for asking.

“Oh, erm... Yes, Agent. I’m just… not having the best day is all.” She straightened up, clearing her throat.

“Yeah I heard about what happened.” He rubbed at the back of his neck. “Listen, I know you aren’t technically on the case anymore but FYI another dealer was hit last night. This isn’t over.”

“Really? Who?” She didn’t know why she asked, she was off the case. She didn’t care anymore.

“A chick… Danvers, maybe… Alice Danvers, I think?” His nose wrinkled as he gave it some thought.

Lena felt a cold chill go up her spine, she felt as if the wind had been knocked out of her.

“Alex Danvers?” She whispered. 

“Yeah, that’s the one.” He smiled, “She was shot but, somehow survived. Taken to NC hospital.”

*

Lena hurried into the crowded hospital waiting room, the air conditioning felt nice on her heated skin.

She glanced around but didn’t see a single person she recognised. She didn’t know whether that was good sign or not.

She found her way to the front desk, “Hi, I’m looking for an Alex Danvers, she was brought in last night. I believe she was shot.” Lena could hear the desperation in her voice, she gripped the counter hard.

“Are you family?” The woman on the desk glanced up from her paperwork.

“No, I’m with the FBI,” Lena held up her badge.

The woman hit a few keys on her computer.

“She’s in intensive care.”

Lena entered the intensive care unit, glancing around erratically. She grabbed the arm of a doctor as he tried to pass by.

“Alex Danvers? I’m looking for Alex Danvers? I’m with the FBI.” She held up her badge.

“FBI? I’m afraid you won’t be able talk to Ms Danvers. She’s in an induced coma right now but she’s stable.”

“So she’s… still alive?”

“For now,” the doctor nodded, looking a little solemn. “Is there anything else I can help you with?”

“Is any of her family here?”

“Yeah, erm… I believe her sisters been here since last night…” The doctor pointed down the corridor.

Lena thanked the doctor and pushed on, her heels clacking off the ground as she marched down the corridor. Kara was sitting on a seat in the hallway, her head low, she stared at the ground near her feet.

Lena approached her slowly and sat down next to her without a word.

Kara glanced across at her and then back down at the ground.

“My mom said she was coming back from a job interview when it happened... I went through her things and it’s true, she had some resumes with her. She wasn’t dealing, she wasn’t, _I know it._ They just wouldn’t let her move on. I knew this would happen, I knew it would and just let it…”

Kara looked tired, her eyes were red and puffy. She’d evidently been crying for a while. Lena didn’t know quite how to handle this, she wanted to reach for Kara’s hand but she held off.

“I’m sorry, Kara… I’m sorry for everything. Everything that happened, everything I said before and now your sister. _I’m so sorry_.”

“We have to take him down, Lena.” Kara whispered, her hands clenching into fists on her knees. “We have to.”

“It would be… It would be almost impossible to find Sokolovskii now if he’s even still around,” Lena mumbled.

“Well, let’s start picking off his dealers, he’d have to notice us then. He’d have to go after us,” Kara glanced up at her.

“Kara, I’m not on the case anymore.”

 _“So?_ I’ve never been _assigned_ a case ever.” Kara’s brow furrowed. 

“The FBI is a little different, I can’t just _go rogue_. I couldn’t- I’m sorry, Kara. I… I want to help, I do... but-”

Kara sighed, put a hand up so Lena would stop talking, she then rose from her seat and said just before she walked away, “I was wrong about you... now I see why you don’t have anybody in your life who gives a damn about you... because you don’t give a damn about anybody else.”


	4. Partners

“Eugh...” Kara frowned as she took a sip of coffee, swallowing the liquid which seemed to have long since turned cold. She dropped it into the drink holder with an annoyed huff, reminding herself not to touch it again. She was waiting in her car, staking out her own apartment building, something Kara might have found amusing had she not currently been feeling so angry and upset. Her sister had been shot and was currently in hospital in a coma, they’d missed the shipment meaning there was soon to be more drugs on than streets than ever. Sokolovskii was still completely off the grid and Kara didn’t even want to _think_ about Lena Luthor.

So Kara would go on alone, just as things were before she'd met Agent Luthor, except this time she knew exactly who she needed to take down, Viktor Sokolovskii.

Tatiana, the supplier who happened to live in Kara’s building would have to have some involvement with the shipment. It was Kara’s plan to arrest as many of Sokolovskii’s players as she could and try to force Sokolovskii out of hiding. And if she had to do that all on her own, she’d do it.

She tapped out a rhythm on the steering wheel and then reached over unconsciously for the switch to turn on the stereo in the silence of the car, her hand paused in the air and she stared at it, surprised for a moment that her hand wasn’t immediately pushed away. She almost smiled as she thought of Lena.

_“Stop, Kara. No music. We need to have our wits about us, no distractions.”_

Kara dropped her hand onto her thigh with an exhale, sulking into her seat. She glanced at the empty seat next to her, surprised at how much she missed Agent Luthor.

Okay, so she’d only known Lena for like a week but their connection had been intense. Kara couldn’t explain it, everything about Lena Luthor felt right, even when they were bickering she wouldn’t have wanted it any other way. And Kara honestly felt that she was actually getting somewhere, making a difference in National City for once. But Lena was well, _Lena,_ and though Kara knew what she had with her wasn’t something she had expected to last, it still came as a blow when it did. Kara hadn’t been prepared to end it, didn’t want to. But she still had a job to do and she’d do it with or without Lena Luthor.

She tried to push any thoughts of Agent Luthor to the back of her mind, though that was impossible. She pulled on the collar of her dark blue shirt a few times to try and cool herself, it was a particularly hot day in National City, her car seemed to accumulate all the heat.

A few more minutes passed before Kara’s eyes narrowed as she watched a black SUV pull up in front of the building. She sat up in her seat, ready to jump out and follow. Two suspicious looking men with large bags exited the SUV, glanced up and down the street and then headed straight into the apartment building.

Kara wasted no time, she figured now was as good a time as ever. She hopped out of her car and took off after them. She slowed as she started to ascend the stairs in the hall, taking them slowly. She watched from below as the two men entered Tatiana’s apartment and Kara drew her gun. She reached the door and leaned against the wall for a moment to prepare herself. She listened, the apartment was quiet. Taking a deep breath, she readied herself.

A door opened and Kara reacted quickly, instinctually aiming her weapon.

The rather rude old lady from the apartment next door who Kara and Lena had the displeasure of meeting a handful of days ago was lingering in her doorway again.

 _“Really?”_ Kara exhaled, lowering her gun and placing a hand on her hip.

“Oh, it’s _you_ again.” She grumbled. “What do you want this time?”

“ _Will you - Shhh,”_ Kara frowned, waving her hand around and gesturing toward the door between them.

“What are you-”

Kara rolled her eyes and turned for the door, the old lady yelped as Kara kicked it as hard as she could. The door swung open and she raised her gun. She could have laughed at the scene before her, the two men were cutting cocaine at Tatiana’s living room table, they stared up at her with wide eyes.

“National City Police Department! On the ground, _now!”_

They stared at her for a few seconds and then very slowly, almost comically, lowered themselves to the ground as Kara pulled out her handcuffs, she smiled, pleased with herself.

“Hands where I can see them. Hurry up, come on,” she said, approaching slowly. “That was easier than-”

There was suddenly a distinct click behind her and Kara froze, a gun cocking sound. She then felt the cold steel pressing against the back of her head.

“I think it’d be better if you did...” Came a heavy Russian accent. “Drop the weapon.”

 _“Tatiana, of course,”_ Kara whispered, exhaling as she considered her next move.

She could take on Tatiana and probably die in the process or she could drop her gun in which case she’d definitely die…

“You don’t wanna do this…” Kara said, swallowing hard as she brought her hands into the air. She’d just made the decision to at least fight for her life, taking a deep breath and preparing to move when there was a second gun cocking sound.

“Drop the gun. _Now.”_

Kara felt a chill go up her spine, the swoosh feeling that she felt in her stomach, she’d call it relief but it wasn’t. It was more than that, excitement maybe. Hearing that voice, that _particular_ voice had Kara reeling.

Agent Lena Luthor entered the apartment with her gun raised. Kara swivelled around as Tatiana immediately dropped her gun.

Kara couldn’t hold back a grin as she met Lena’s gaze, “ _Lena_ … you have the most perfect timing,” she spoke breathlessly.

“Detective,” Lena smiled, casually throwing Kara a second pair of cuffs. “Everything okay?”

Kara’s gaze travelled down Lena’s figure and back up, her mouth falling open in surprise. She was wearing dark jeans, a black FBI t-shirt with a bullet proof vest and a pair of sunglasses perched on top of her head. Kara blinked, “I… I _really like_ this new look.”

“I thought you might,” Lena smiled, holstering her gun. “So, my partner said something about taking down some bad guys?”

 _“Partner?”_ Kara smirked, catching her lower lip between her teeth.

She stared at Lena, forgetting for a moment exactly what she was doing here.

“Don’t make me change my mind,” Lena added with a raised brow.

Kara allowed herself to savour Lena’s presence for a few seconds more before turning her attention back to the men on the ground.

“Game over, guys,” Kara said, holstering her gun as she approached them, she knelt close by.

“But… lucky for you, we’re going to let you go. So you can tell your friend, _Sokolovskii,_ that we’re looking for-”

“Um, Kara?” Lena interrupted. “We can’t really just let these guys go…”

Kara paused for a second, “Fine. But is there any way that you could possibly let him know from jail please? Would that be okay?” she asked, readjusting her glasses.

One of the men uttered something in Russian that Kara couldn’t understand, she glanced over her shoulder at Lena for clarification.

Lena just wrinkled her nose and shook her head, deciding not to translate whatever it was she’d heard. “Just arrest them, Kara.”

With the two men and Tatiana in cuffs, Kara turned to Lena, “How’d you find me?”

“I came by your apartment, I saw your car outside but you weren’t home _obviously_ but then I heard yelling up here, so…”

“Thank you…” Kara smiled, “Thank you for coming back.”

“Kara, I…” Lena paused, releasing a breath. She shook her head, changing her mind. “Let’s… let’s go.”

*

A man sat at his kitchen counter, staring at a mountain of cocaine, he brow furrowed at the sound of the doorbell but he quickly got up to the answer the door. Detective Kara Danvers was stood on the other side holding a pizza box in one hand and her gun in the other.

“What the hell?” He grumbled in confusion.

“Pizza’s here,” Kara laughed as she tossed the empty pizza box at the guy’s head.

Lena rolled her eyes as she walked up behind her, “What was the point of the pizza box, Detective?”

Kara shrugged, “I found it in the car… thought it would be funny.”

"Who are hell are you?" The dealer yelled.

"We're _the heat_ ," Lena raised her weapon, “FBI! On the ground with your hands behind your head!”

Kara started cuffing the guy, “Listen to me. You’re going to tell your friend Sokolovskii that Detective Danvers was here and that I’m looking for him. You got that?”

*

Kara climbed into the passenger seat of the car, handing Lena a coffee, “One black coffee... I got donuts too. Do you want a donut? I got several.”

“Um… no, thank you, Kara,” Lena gave her a smile and then returned her gaze to the list of crossed out names in front of her.

“That’s seven of Sokolovskii’s players off the board. Not bad, huh?” Kara said, she almost seemed nervous now as she glanced across at Lena, like there was something she wanted to say.

“Let’s just hope it’s enough.” Lena responded, studying the paperwork.

They were both quiet for a moment.

“Lena…” Kara sucked in a breath, her fingers scratching at the lid of her coffee apprehensively, “Why did you come back?”

Lena glanced across at her, meeting Kara’s gaze.

“Am I wrong in thinking that you wanted me to?”

 _“No, no, Lena_ , of course I want you here.” Kara quickly reached over, placing a hand on Lena’s forearm. “It’s just... I thought maybe you wanted _me_ gone. You said, you preferred to work alone, which I think you’re completely wrong about by the way,” Kara added, “And I was rude to you. I shouldn’t have said what I said in the hospital. It wasn’t true and well, I could understand if you didn’t want to work with me anymore.”

Lena exhaled, a little crease in her brow, “You were right-”

“ _No_ , I wasn’t-”

“Kara, I care about you _a lot_ and that’s why I’m here. Not for the case, not Sokolovskii... I’m here because of you.”

Kara smiled, “Good because… I care about you too.”

She slowly slid her hand down to Lena’s and entwined their fingers together.

“I’m sorry about before,” Lena mumbled, glancing down at their joined hands and then back up at Kara. “I shouldn’t have-”

“Lena, you’re _here now_ ,” Kara squeezed her hand. “And that’s all that matters to me.”

“How is your sister?” Lena whispered.

Kara shrugged, “The same. She’s stable. Hopefully she’ll… hopefully she’ll wake up soon.”

Lena nodded, swallowing as the tension in the car grew thick. She lightly stroked her thumb along Kara’s.

Their eyes met.

“Did I tell you how much I like this new look because I like it _a lot_.” Kara smiled.

“You did.” Lena could feel her face growing warm, “A number of times actually.”

They stared at each other, Kara’s tongue swiped over her bottom lip as she leaned closer, bringing her hand up to Lena’s cheek.

Lena edged closer, her eyes slipping closed as she felt the puff of Kara’s breath against her chin.

Her phone started to vibrate loudly on the dash, they both pulled away from each other quickly. Lena cleared her throat, shaking her head as she grabbed her phone and stared down at it. 

“Ah, it’s Agent Winn,” Lena mumbled, answering the call. “Agent Winn, find out if any of the dealers that myself and Kara brought into the 70th precinct today have had any visitors, please.” Lena said, she could feel Kara’s gaze on her.

 _“I thought you were off the case?”_ Winn responded.

“Just do it, Winn. And it’s for my eyes only, keep this to yourself.”

Kara laughed silently beside her, giving her a thumbs up.

_“Okay, sure, no problem-”_

“Thanks, let me know-”

_“Wait! I called you!”_

“What is it, Agent?” Lena asked impatiently.

_“It’s Rojas phone. He turned his phone on, I’ve tracked it.”_

“Interesting,” Lena’s brow raised, “Can you send me that data right now?”

 _“Sending it now. Um… Agent Luthor? Assistant Director J’onzz… um, kind of wants to know where you are?”_ Winn sounded nervous.

“AD J’onzz wants to know where _I_ am?” She glanced at Kara and smirked. “Tell him I’ll come back when I’m good and ready.”

Kara laughed, her mouth popping open in surprise.

 _“Yeah!_ She’s busy cracking skulls! And taking down the bad guys!” Kara yelled.

“Please don’t tell him that part, Agent,” Lena said, grimacing as she hung up.

She turned to Kara, “Rojas has turned his phone on. Agent Winn is sending the tracking data.”

“Why would he do that? If he had enough smarts to know to turn his phone off, why would he randomly turn it back on? It’s not like the heat is off him just yet…”

Lena pulled up the data on her phone.

Kara settled closer into her seat, sipping her coffee, “We’ve arrested seven of Sokolovskii’s known players. _Seven_ … Surely Sokolovskii is going to make a move soon…”

“We can only hope, Detective… According to this…” Lena mumbled as she looked carefully as the map. “Wait… what’s…”

She showed Kara the phone.

“What’s in this part of the city?”

“Nothing much. Industrial part of town. Bunch of old warehouses,” Kara shrugged, “Abandoned, I think. Lena, if Rojas is alive, why would he randomly just turn on his phone like this? And why would he be _there_? This is a setup if I’ve ever seen one...”

Lena’s brow furrowed, “Kara, this is what we’ve been waiting for. I think… this is him. This is Sokolovskii.”

*

“Looks like this could be the place.”

“Lena, this is shady as hell…” Kara frowned as they drove slowly by the large seemingly empty warehouses in an isolated and dilapidated part of the city.

“Good. The shadier the better, this is just the sort of establishment that I would have expected to house our suspect.” Lena said as she drove on a little further and then pulled over the car.

“So… what’s the plan?” Kara asked, she readjusted her glasses.

“We explore the vicinity… if we see anything suspicious, we call for back-up.” Lena said with a prompt nod, she glanced over at Kara whose brow was crinkling in what might have been concentration or worry. This was the most nervous Lena had seen her.

They were both silent as they climbed out of the car. Kara walked around to Lena’s side as she pulled on her own bullet proof vest.

“Are you ready?” Kara asked, giving her a small encouraging smile.

Lena tapped her holstered gun and then glanced down the street toward their destination before turning back to Kara.

“Not quite yet,” She said, reaching a hand up to Kara’s neck and unexpectedly pulling the detective down into a firm kiss.

Kara squeaked in surprise, her hands landing on Lena’s waist to steady herself. She quietly groaned as she relaxed into the kiss, her eyes drifting closed. Lena’s tongue swiped at her lip and Kara was two seconds away pushing Agent Luthor up against the car door and forgetting about their mission when she pulled away.

“Ready,” Lena said breathlessly, unholstering her gun and sauntering onwards.

Kara blinked wide eyed as she sucked in a ragged breath, she stared on after Agent Luthor.

“You coming, Detective?” Lena asked, glancing back as she crossed over the street.

Kara nearly tripped over her feet as she moved to keep up, unholstering her gun.

They moved silently along a tall fence surrounding the warehouse, pausing when they reached the end. Lena peered around the corner.

“There’s a guard,” she whispered, withdrawing back quickly.

“Let me see,” They silently swapped places and Kara peered around.

There was a tall man, facing in the opposite direction, standing merely three ft away. Kara quickly leaned back against the fence.

They made eye contact, Lena asking without words what they should do.

Kara smiled confidently, and before Lena had a chance to assess the situation, Kara knocked loudly on the fence.

They heard feet twisting in the gravel, footsteps approaching, a shadow moving toward them. Kara took a gulp of air and then acted quickly, striking the guard in the face with the butt of her gun as he came to the edge of the fence. He immediately fell to the ground in a heap.

Kara then smiled proudly at her, like a pleased puppy waiting for a treat.

 _“Why did you do that!?”_ Lena took a quick step back, “What if he just worked for the warehouse?”

Kara’s eyes widened momentarily, she glanced down at the knocked out guard and then back up at Lena. She considered it for a moment and then shook her head, waving her hand dismissively.

“No way. This place is abandoned. He’s definitely a bad guy.” Kara smiled, stepped over the knocked out guard and walked out into the open, looking around.

“If you’re sure,” Lena shook her head, walking around the corner after Kara. The warehouse loomed ahead of them.

All seemed quiet though the warehouses large metal doors were slid wide open. They glanced at each other and then approached the building. The warehouse was packed to the rafters with large crates. Though it was apparently abandoned, it certainly wasn’t empty. Lena silently gestured for Kara to follow her as they entered the building, getting lost in a maze of tall crates.

Lena paused suddenly causing Kara to bump into her. Lena placed a finger over her lip and pointed. They listened to voices nearby.

Kara frowned, men were speaking in Russian.

Lena poked her head around the corner of a stack, it lead into an open space with a large conveyer belt and other machinery. In the middle, Terrell Rojas appeared to be tied to a chair, he looked badly beaten, one of his eyes was swollen shut and his white tank top stained with blood.

“What are they say- _Lena, no-”_ Kara tried to grab a hold of Lena as she stepped out from their hiding place.

 _“Rojas!”_ Lena’s voice echoed around the space as she stepped out _,_ “Where are the other-”

“Ah, _finally_. We have been waiting. It’s _so_ nice to see you again.” Vadmir Chzov stepped out from the shadows, two henchmen following, withdrawing weapons.

Kara raised her gun in response, stepping out.

“I’m with the FBI-” Lena began.

“Shut up. And you can pass over those weapons,” Vadmir mumbled, seemingly unbothered with whatever Lena had to say. He walked up behind Rojas, who appeared to be struggling against his bonds, placing a hand on his shoulder.

Kara glanced across at Lena as she desperately considered their next move. Things hadn’t exactly gone to plan, they should have called back up as soon they’d seen Rojas.

There was a commotion behind them and Kara turned swiftly. Her brow furrowed as the guard she’d knocked out outside staggered toward them, holding a hand over his bloody nose. Thinking fast, Kara grabbed him, wrapping her forearm around his neck and pointing her gun at the side of his head.

“How about you pass over _your_ weapons and I won’t kill this man?” Kara yelled, holding the guard steady as he struggled against her.

Vadmir blinked, looked around at his two henchmen with a smile and then shrugged, “Shoot him, what do I care? He’s not one of my men, he just works here for the warehouse.”

Lena almost smiled… almost.

Kara eyes widened, she immediately let go of the guard with a small whispered, “ _Oh my god.”_

She brushed some dirt off his shoulder, _“I’m so sorry, let me take a look at your nose. I thought you were a bad guy. I’m so, so sorry. I never would have-”_

 _“Shut up!_ Now! Be careful. I will shoot your informant in the head right now,” Vadmir interrupted, wrenching one of his henchmen’s guns from their grasp and pointing it at the back of Rojas head.

 _“What?! Dude! That wasn’t part of the plan_!” Rojas shouted, looking over his shoulder.

 _“Shut up!”_ Vadmir yelled, hitting Rojas on the side of his face with the gun.

Lena glanced down at Rojas for a second and back up, her gun still poised to strike. _“So?_ Why do we care what you do with him?” She yelled.

 _“Aw, come on!”_ Rojas shouted across to them, “They’ve kept me here for two days! They beat me up because of you!”

“What a load of crap! You’re still working for these guys, Rojas! We gave you a chance!” Kara yelled, pointing her gun back at Vadmir as the injured guard stumbled away.

“Kara, we can’t exactly just let them shoot him point-blank,” Lena mumbled quietly, side eyeing her partner.

“Lena, all I know is if we hand over our weapons right now, we are _dead,”_ Kara narrowed her eyes at her.

Lena seemed to think for a moment and then nodded.

“Okay.”

A shot rang out, Vadmir yelped and fell to the floor as bullet ripped through his knee and then another through his shoulder.

Kara blinked but quickly moved into action, shooting one of the henchmen and the other precisely.

As the henchmen fell, Rojas got to his feet, the bonds which appeared to have been holding him fell to the floor and he ran swiftly for the exit.

 _“Hey!_ He wasn’t even tied up! I _told you_ he working with them!” Kara yelled as they kicked the weapons away from the three men. 

“Leave him.” Lena said, pulling out her phone, “Come on, that was loud. We need back up _now._ ”

Kara grabbed Lena’s arm and pulled her along, they disappeared back into the stacks of crates, ducked behind some large containers as Lena made the call.

 _"What happened here? This place is a fucking mess! Find them! Now!”_ A thick Russian accent travelled across the warehouse, Kara peered over the crates as two men peered around at the scene.

“What do we do now?” Kara whispered as they both crouched low to the ground.

They both flinched and ducked lower as three gun shots rang out followed by silence. Kara peered over the crate as Lena whispered quietly into her phone.

 _“You!_ Dispose of these bodies!”

Kara dropped back down, “They just killed Vadmir and the others. They didn't even try to help them, they just killed them.”

Lena placed what she hoped was a reassuring hand on Kara’s forearm as she considered their next move, “It’ll be fine, they won’t find us-”

“Found them.”

 _“Oh crap.”_ Kara mumbled, looking up as a man leaned around the crates, staring at them.

“Good afternoon,” the Russian man turned his head, a large tattoo covered the side of his neck and face.

“Hi there. We’ve been looking for you!” Kara smiled, rising to full height and gesturing to Lena. “You’re certainly aren’t an easy man to find,”

Finally, standing before them in all of his bald headed, tattooed faced glory was Viktor Sokolovskii.

Sokolovskii merely raised his brow and then spoke to a second man who approached them from the other side. “Grab them, tie them up. I’d like to have some fun with these two first.”

Lena was grabbed around the waist, her gun wrenched from her grasp.

“Wait, this is really happening? _Okay,”_ Lena yelped as she was dragged away into a smaller room nearby and forced onto a small metal chair.

“ _Let go of me!_ _Hey!_ Wait, that’s kinda tight, _do you_ _mind?”_ Kara grimaced as her hands were tied behind her back and then her feet tied to a chair.

Kara struggled against her bonds for a moment before glancing across at Lena in the same position and giving up with a loud sigh.

“Leave us.” Sokolovskii spoke quietly to his henchman, “I will see to these two personally.”

Kara glanced across at Lena with wide eyes as the henchman left the room and they were left tied to chairs in the back of some abandoned warehouse with Viktor Sokolovskii smiling down at them.

It was fine. It didn’t matter because back up was on the way. All they had to do was stall Sokolovskii, keep him talking until back up arrived.

“Do anybody else know that you are here?” Sokolovskii asked calmly, casually pulling a metal table on wheels toward them.

“I only told your mom,” Lena smirked.

It took Kara a moment to process Lena’s words before she burst into a fit of laughter, _“Lena, oh my god! Lena, I can’t stop laughing. I’m crying! I’m actually cryin-”_

Sokolovskii stepped forward with a glare and swiftly backhanded Kara across the face, her glasses flying to the floor.

 _“Hey!”_ Lena yelled, fighting against her bonds.

 _“Oww_ … _Okay,”_ Kara blinked, spitting blood onto the floor.

“Worth it,” she smiled across at Lena.

 _“Be quiet._ I have something very special for the two of you. It is what you both deserve after the trouble you have put me through these past days. _And_ I just had to kill my good friend Vadmir, he was my right hand.” Sokolovskii brought the metal table closer, revealing a collection of knives that seemed to be arranged by size, from a butcher knife to a very small blade.

Kara struggled against her robes in sudden alarm. “You won’t get away this time, Sokolovskii. It’s too late. Killing us will only make things worse for you.”

“No… ” Sokolovskii ran his fingers down the knifes slowly as he considered Kara’s words, “I think killing you will be very good for me.” He landed on the last, very small knife.

“Good choice,” Kara nodded eagerly.

“Yeah, pick that one.” Lena added.

“Oh,” Sokolovskii chuckled to himself. “Allow me to explain. What you don’t know is, yes, it is a very small blade but it is also… the sharpest. I can do more with it, much, _much_ more…” Sokolovskii smiled, twirling the blade around his fingers, taking a step toward them.

 _“Leave her alone,”_ Lena said through gritted teeth as it looked as though he was about to approach Kara.

“Okay,” Sokolovskii shrugged, “Then I will start with you.”

Kara started to struggle roughly against her own bonds. “No! Touch her and I’ll-”

A henchman entered the room and approached the scene.

“What is it?” Sokolovskii asked, seemingly annoyed at being disturbed.

The henchman whispered something close to his ear.

Sokolovskii nodded.

“Ladies, I need to attend to something. I will be back in just a few minutes. Talk between yourselves.” He gave them almost a polite nod.

“Take all the time you need,” Kara nodded.

“Yeah, no rush,” Lena glanced across at her partner.

“Oh, would you hold this for me?” Sokolovskii approached Lena with the knife.

“Sur- _AAAARRGH!_ ” Lena shrieked as the small blade punctured the top of her thigh.

 _“No! No! Lena! Don’t touch her! Sokolovskii! When I get free, I’ll kill you! Sokolovskii?! You hear me!?_ ” Kara yelled as she struggled against her bonds.

Sokolovskii ignored everything Kara had to say as he swiftly turned and disappeared from the room.

“ _Oh my god! Lena!_ Lena, are you okay? You’ll be okay. It’s okay. You’ll be fine.” Kara spoke hurriedly, pulling at the ropes.

Lena’s face contorted in agony, her hands curled into fists, she was shaking.

“Lena, back up will be here real soon. Any minute, okay? We just need to hold on. You’re going to be fine. It’s okay…”

 _“Kara,”_ Lena groaned out in pain, she swallowed, “ _Kara…”_

“ _Shhh,_ Lena, look at me. You’ll be okay, it’s not that bad, it’s not bad at all. It’s nothing-”

_“Kara, if we perish in here-”_

_“Oh no,_ that is n _ot_ happening, Lena. No one is going to _die_ in here.”

“You were right.” Lena took some ragged deep breathes.

“ _Right?_ Right about what?” Kara asked hurriedly.

“I looked over some of the evidence...” Lena sucked in a ragged breath, “Kara, I think… I think the Cedar Falls Killer might actually have been innocent. You- You were right.”

“Oh really?” Kara blinked distractedly. “ _I knew it!_ Did you happen to tell anyone before you came on this life threatening mission?”

 _“God dammit!”_ Lena yelled, shaking her head, “Okay, Kara, if we should die in here-”

“Don’t say that. Don’t!” Kara suddenly found herself blinking back tears.

“I’m not very good with my feelings, Kara, but I really need to say something, okay?” Lena groaned in pain.

“Lena, _stop_. We’re _not_ going to _die_ in here.” Kara pulled at her ties.

“Look, Kara, just let me _please._ I… I need to say this… when I said I cared about you, that was… that wasn’t true… _no,_ I mean… it was true but what I meant to say was, I’ve- I’ve never cared about anyone the way I care about-”

“Turn your chair around.” Kara interrupted.

“What?” Lena’s brow furrowed.

“I can cut my ropes with your knife. Try and turn your chair toward me.”

“My _knife!?”_ Lena glared.

“Yeah, your… leg knife,” Kara said, nodding toward it as if that was the most obvious next move.

“ _Oh my god.”_ Lena grimaced.

“Lena, this might be our _only_ chance… Just… _Quickly!”_

They shuffled around comically in their chairs, Lena biting her lip at the pain in her leg. Kara managed to shuffle her chair so her back was facing Lena’s front, reaching blindly with her hand for her knife behind her.

“Hold still, okay?”

“I’m not even moving,” Lena groaned, trying to angle her leg toward Kara’s palm.

“Just hurry up and pull the knife out.”

“Is this going to hurt?” Kara asked regretfully as her finger tips touched the handle.

“ _Just do it!”_

“Don’t scream.” Kara grimaced as she gripped the knife, dislodging it from Lena’s thigh.

 _“Ahhhhhhhhhhhh!”_ Lena screamed under her breath.

“ _Sorry! Sorry! I’m so sorry!”_

“Just hurry up and get your hands free!”

Kara began to clumsily scrape at the ties around her wrists with the small blade.

Lena rolled her eyes, “Hurry up, Kara.”

“It’s not that easy _,_ Lena. I can’t see, it’s all slippery with your blood and it kinda hurts my wrist,” Kara grumbled, her wrist bending at an uncomfortable angle.

“When we’re free, I’ll stab you in the leg and you can tell me what hurts more.” Lena grumbled.

Kara’s eyes widened and she picked up the pace.

After a moment the knife broke through the ties.

“I got it!” Kara beamed, leaning down for the ties at her feet.

“Take your time,” Lena mumbled impatiently, her wrists feeling painful and sore.

Kara leapt up from her chair and hurriedly went about cutting at Lena’s tied wrists, when she came around and started to work at the ties around her feet, Kara glanced up and smiled at her.

“So, you care about me, huh? Does that mean that you’ll-”

“Do you hear that? Kara, I think he’s coming back.” Lena whispered, glancing up at the door.

“Okay, ladies-” As the door swung open, Lena grabbed a large metal gas can nearby and hurled it toward Sokolovskii as he entered the room. It clipped the side of his head and he stumbled back against the door frame in a daze.

Kara rushed to her feet, grabbed up her chair and struck Sokolovskii across the face with it.

He fell to the ground in a heap. A moment of silence passed as they both stared in amazement at Sokolovskii lying motionless on the floor.

Kara released a breath, turning back to Lena as she slowly stood from her chair. “Are you okay?”

“I think so,” Lena nodded, she tried to smile around the pain in her leg.

She peered down at Lena’s leg, “It’s okay, back up will be-”

 _“Kara.”_ Lena’s eyes widened. Sokolovskii was back on his feet, blood seeping down the side of his face.

Kara turned around, the small blade she was still holding pointed toward Sokolovskii.

Sokolovskii’s eyes landed on the large selection of knifes left on the metal table and he scooped up the biggest knife on offer, swinging the butcher knife in Kara’s direction.

She lurched backwards, it missed her by inches. “Wait, this isn’t fair, I lost my glasses.”

When Sokolovskii swung for her again, Kara dodged and jabbed the small blade into the top of his bicep. Sokolovskii squealed in pain and his knife hit the floor with a clatter.

“Wow, you were right. That really is sharp.” Kara smirked.

Sokolovskii snarled loudly, his face one of absolute fury. He took one calculated step toward them when a loud noise echoed around the room beyond causing Sokolovskii to glance behind him distractedly.

“That’ll be back up,” Lena said, feeling a wave of relief.

As agents stormed the warehouse beyond, Kara ran at Sokolovskii, tackling him to the ground.

There was a flurry of movement in the room as Agents thundered in. Assistant Director J’onzz lowered his weapon as he took in the scene.

“Agent Luthor, what is- Is that Viktor Sokolovskii on the floor?”

“It certainly is, Sir.” Lena smiled against the searing pain in her leg as she tried not to fall down.

“I can’t believe it, Agent,” J’onzz smiled. “You’ve actually done it. Excellent work, Agent Luthor.”

Kara huffed, getting to her feet as Agents took over the apprehension of Sokolovskii. She hurriedly grabbed her glasses from the floor nearby, her brow crinkling as they sat wonky on her nose.

Lena smiled affectionately at her, “Assistant Director, this is Detective Kara Danvers, she has been imperative in the exposure of Sokolovskii’s organisation, his whereabouts and his capture. She’s really an outstanding detective and… I wouldn’t have gotten anywhere without her.”

Kara didn’t seem to register that Lena was talking about her as she grumpily tried to adjust the glasses on her nose as they kept dipping to one side every few seconds.

J’onzz nodded, offering Kara his hand, “Detective Danvers, thank you. I’ll ensure that your assistance in this case does not go unrewarded.”

Kara glanced down at the Assistant Director’s hand and them beamed at him as she shook it, “It was my pleasure, Sir.”

She glanced across at Lena and then seemed to remember the wound in her leg, “Oh my god, Lena, your leg! Are you okay?”

The leg of Lena’s dark jeans was coated in blood. Kara wrapped an arm around Lena’s waist.

“It’s… not so good,” Lena grimaced as they began to hobble toward the exit as Viktor Sokolovskii yelled in Russian behind them.

“I’ve got you,” Kara mumbled, pulling Lena close to her side as they wandered through the warehouse.

They both squinted against the evening sunlight when they stepped out and took in the scene before them.

“These guys really took their time,” Kara mumbled.

Police and federal agents were chaotically swarming the warehouse. No one seemed to take any notice of either of them as they left the building.

The guard that Kara had held at gun point was stood to one side, wrapped in an emergency foil blanket, speaking hurriedly into a phone.

“Honey, it’s me. I’m fine. Two female terrorists took over the building, but it’s okay, I’m safe. I’m safe now.”

Kara rolled her eyes as they stumbled passed him.

Within a few minutes, Lena was sitting on the back of an FBI van with the back doors wide open waiting for a medic to appear and advise on her wound.

She leaned back on her hands as Kara sat down beside her, once again readjusting her wonky glasses.

Kara smiled and brought a hand up to Lena’s cheek.

“So, we did it,” Lena mumbled tiredly, resting her brow on Kara’s shoulder.

“I guess we did…” Kara nodded, she looked away distractedly, grabbing her glasses off her face and fumbling with them anxiously. “I guess that means you’re up for that big promotion in Metropolis, right?”

Lena blinked, “Um… I’m not sure anymore actually, Director J’onzz, he-”

“Would be crazy not to offer you that promotion.” Kara nodded, offering Lena a warm smile.

“Kara, there’s something I want to say to you.” She reached up and grabbed Kara’s hand in hers. “I’m sorry.”

Kara’s brow furrowed, she stroked a thumb over Lena’s.

“I’m sorry for everything. I was _the worst_ , from the very start. I didn’t recognise your abilities. I didn’t trust your judgement or your decisions-”

“Lena-” Kara brushed a hand through Lena’s hair. She looked as though she was trying not to laugh.

“And _your sister!_ Kara, your sister almost _died._ She’s in the hospital right now and I wasn’t there for you! I’ve made a lot of wrong choices and you’re a great detective. You’re brave and heroic and clever and-”

“Lena.” Kara quietly shhh’ed her, stroking a thumb down her cheek. “How much blood have you lost?”

“I’m serious, Kara! I was-”

Lena didn’t get a chance to continue her outburst as Kara shook her head with amusement and silenced her with a kiss.

*

One month later

“Knock, Knock.”

Lena glanced up as Kara Danvers entered her office, she readjusted her glasses and the collar on her pink shirt. “Hey partner! Are we technically still partners? Did you know the name plate on your door is wrong?”

“What?” Lena frowned, standing from her desk.

“Yeah, shouldn’t it say, _Agent Lena, I’ve got everything under control, Luthor?_ ” Kara smirked, looking proud of herself.

“Right,” Lena gave a prompt nod, grasping that Kara was making a joke, “But I never say that.”

Kara laughed quietly, “I feel like you said it at _least_ half a dozen times the day we met.” She glanced around the office with curiosity.

“Kara… How did you find me?” Lena asked, raising a brow.

“Well, I didn’t really know where I was going at all but this nice lady called Eve, I think? She kindly showed me where your new office was.” Kara’s hands fell to the pockets of her pants. “Wow, doesn’t your office just have a great view of the city?”

Lena smiled, Kara seemed uneasy. She closed the file on her desk and stepped around it to lean on the edge. She folded her arms as she regarded Kara. “Eve? Stay away from her.”

“Why?” Kara bounced up and down on the balls of her feet.

“I don’t… She’s very attractive, she might lead you astray.” Lena half shrugged.

“Oh, I see. Lena, I have to be honest, I’m kinda already interested in somebody else,” Kara smiled, taking a few steps closer.

“How’s your leg?” Kara asked before Lena could press further.

“I’m mostly getting around without any assistance. I’m feeling well.”

“That’s great.” Kara smiled, biting down on her lower lip, her eyes darting down to Lena’s figure and back up.

“How’s Alex?”

Kara nodded, “I saw her this morning. She seems more like herself now, well, she yelled at me for eating her chocolate pudding.”

_“Kara,_ ” Lena mumbled disapprovingly, shaking her head as she chuckled quietly.

“What? She had _two,_ ” Kara grinned.

Lena placed a hand on Kara’s bicep as she came to stand directly in front of her.

“You all set up in your new office?”

“Pretty much.” Lena nodded, “I’m glad I decided to stay where all the action is at.”

“Me too…” 

Kara sucked in a breath as her gaze fell to the desk, “You have our photo.”

A framed picture of Kara with her arm wrapped around Lena’s shoulder sat on her desk.

It was taken only a few days ago when Kara had been awarded a medal for her work on the case.

“I um… I’ve never had a photo on my desk before,” Lena admitted as Kara grabbed her hand.

“I’m your first?” Kara smirked and bit down on her lower lip.

Lena tutted, changing the subject, “Kara, I have some good news. Mark Asher could be out of prison as early as today.”

“Who’s that?” Kara’s brow crinkled, she lightly swung their joined hands between them.

“The cedar falls killer?” Lena frowned.

“Oh right, cool,” Kara nodded, “That guy, good for him.”

“It’s excellent news.”

“Well… the _real_ killer is still out there though, Lena, so… not so great really.” Kara’s nose crinkled.

Lena exhaled, “Thanks for that.”

“Hey, so, I was thinking… and I know you’ve been busy, making the move to National City permanent and all. And this new job and I know we haven’t really talked about... But, you’re here now… in National City, I mean, so, I was thinking, only if you wanted to of course-”

Lena leaned up, catching Kara’s lips with her own for a second, interrupting Kara’s rambling.

“Would you like to go a date with me?” Lena murmured, only realising once the words had left her mouth that she'd never asked anyone on a date in her life.

“Would I…? _Yes, of course! Yes!”_ Kara beamed, cupping Lena's face in her hands before leaning in to kiss her properly.

As they pulled away, Kara readjusted her glasses as they gazed at each other contently.

“Actually, I’ve got a new case I’m working on…”

“Really?”

“And it looks like it could be a tough one…”

“Hmm... You don’t know the streets of National City too well, you’ll probably need my help…”

“I’m not sure,” Lena smirked, “Working with local authorities is kind of a problem for me.”

“Don’t I know it,” Kara smiled, “ _Agent, I’ve got everything under control, Luthor_.”

Lena shook her head, stepping out of Kara's space, “Please don’t make that a thing.”

Kara laughed quietly, “So, what’s this case you're working on?”

“I’ll fill you in in the car. I really need to question a suspect ASAP. Though it’s going to require some patience on your part, Detective. I’m going to use a technique that involves empathy, bonding, and repetition-”

Kara frowned as they headed for the door, “Lena _…_ How long will that take?”

“I don’t know. At most twelve hours. Hopefully less.”

Kara grimaced, _“Lena_ , have you learnt _nothing?_ We're _The Heat!_ Me and you. We’re meant to go in there, scare the crap out of this guy and get all the information we need."

"Detective, must I remind you that this is an FBI matter? There's protocol to be followed. Correct procedure." Lena said seriously as they stepped out into the hall.

Kara paused, her eyes widening as she stared at Agent Luthor. 

"I'm kidding," Lena chuckled, grabbing Kara's hand and pulling her along. 


End file.
